it Gifts Chapter 54 Rejected … 1/5 AURORA Danes face was filled with unspoken pain .


    If I spend my entire life trying , I can never make up for what Ive done to you .


    What ? My heart was frozen .


    I couldnt believe he was saying this .


    I couldnt believe he finally believed me in the exact moment I could no longer believe in myself .


    How … do you know she lied ? I asked .


    Dane gave my hands one more squeeze , then released them .


    Like I said , I had the recording analyzed by a contact of mine .


    Its not your voice .


    Its a deep fake , created with other recordings they had of you and AI .


    I hugged myself .


    So , thats how she did it .


    I had no idea how it could sound so much like me .


    I guess thats it .


    For a long moment , we both stood there in silence .


    Finally , I asked , So , what does this mean ? Do you believe me about everything , now ? Everything Ive been begging you to believe for eight years ? Dane let out a slow breath and stepped toward me .


    Im … working through it .


    + Chapter 54 2/5 I stepped back .


    I couldnt let him touch me .


    I felt like my whole skin was poisoned .


    Like if he came anywhere near me , Id do what my shadow promised she would so long ago , and he would be destroyed .


    Did I care if he was ? If I was finally the one with his fate in my hands , instead of mine in his , how desperately did I want to save the man who had tried to ruin me ? TRAJAN I looked around the massive cavern and let out a low whistle .


    I had served Aurora for years .


    I was loyal to her .


    If shemanded it , Id die .


    I was her best friend , her assistant , and I would be her beta .


    If everyone knew everything about her , I did .


    Hell , I might even know more than she did , the way our closest friends often saw through the lies we told ourselves .


    I knew her past was dark .


    But even I couldnt have prepared myself for what I was seeing now .


    We were in an enormous cavern .


    So huge , you couldve about parked a cruise ship in it .


    The ceiling arched high above to a Chapter 54 round hole like an eye .


    Moonlight shone through it .


    3/5 On the ground , there was a massive circle that looked like it had been painted in white paint .


    It was made of runes and strange geometric shapes .


    It reminded me of Auroras book .


    In the center of the circle there was a rectangr stone block that looked disturbingly like an altar .


    In fact , I was pretty sure thats what it was .


    A big , ck b made of granite with channels carved in the top .


    The waxy , puddled remains of melted candles I moved closer and got a nose full of rot and copper .


    The altar smelled like old blood .


    What the fuck were the Reeds doing down here ? Archer asked .


    Suddenly , the room rippled with cold energy .


    Like one pulse of a frozen heart .


    What was that ? the beta growled .


    The awful sensation of being watched prickled the back of my neck .


    My wolf quietly growled .


    But we were here looking for pages torn from that journal .


    Runes simr to the journal were written on the floor .


    As much as my instincts were screaming at me to turn and run , we couldnt leave until we searched .


    Chapter 54 Come on , I said .


    4/5 I stepped into the room .


    There was a sound like distant whispers and another frozen pulse of energy .


    Hell no , Archer replied .


    Something is wrong , here , Trajan .


    I know you feel it .


    It doesnt matter .


    We have to search .


    I dont know exactly what Aurora and Dane are into with this , but they need those damn pages .


    Archer growled , but a secondter , he stepped into the room with me .


    I rolled my shoulders , but the feeling of being watched wouldnt go away .


    I decided to ignore it .


    Together , Archer and I crossed into the circle .


    There was another pulse of cold magic .


    This is feeling less and less good , Archer said .


    Then hurry up and look around ! I snapped .


    I wouldnt disappoint Aurora .


    Shed been through too much shit for that .


    I strode to the stone b .


    There were a few things on it .


    The melted candles , but also a silver bowl .


    I touched it , and it burned .


    * Chapter 54 my skin .


    There was something inside it , like old ash .


    5/5 Pure fucking silver , I said .


    How would they have even used it ? I dont want to know , Archer responded .


    Hed found a table on the far side of the room and was poking through ss jars stacked on top .


    I went back to my search .


    I covered my hand with my sleeve and dumped the bowl on the altar .


    A pile of ashes fell out .


    And so did two bloody , folded squares of paper ,pletely unburned .


    My heart speeding up , I unfolded one .


    The writing was unmistakable .


    This is it , I said .


    I found the papers .


    From one of the ck holes that led out of the cavern , something inhuman started tough .


    Then the whole cavern started to shake as something huge and monstrous moved .