Chapter 165
ATASHA’S POV
When the servant said Sister Veris was here to see me, she never mentioned anything about Violet, her niece.
“Please forgive us for coming without notice,” Sister Veris said as she entered the study. “But Violet and I wanted to thank you personally for everything.”
I stood from my chair, surprised by how different she looked. The last time I saw her, her hair had been streaked with gray and her face drawn from the winters spent at the abbey. Now, she looked younger somehow, her skin smoother, her movements steadier. Healing and good food seemed to have done her well.
“There’s no need for thanks, Sister,” I said, gesturing for them to sit.
“Still,” she insisted with a soft smile. “We couldn’t come empty–handed.” She set a small velvet box on the table between us and gently pushed it toward me. “Violet and I especially prepared this for you. It’s nothing grand, but it’s something my family has kept for years.”
“You didn’t have to,” I said, shaking my head.
“Please,” she said. “I insist.”
I nodded and reached for the box. The velvet was dark blue, soft under my fingers. When I opened it, a necklace lay inside, a simple silver chain holding a round, pale stone with faint streaks of light running through it.
“It’s called a Lunaris Tear,” Sister Veris said. “According to legend, the stone fell from the sky during the goddess’s mourning. It is said to carry her tears and her blessing. Whoever wears it will be protected from witchcraft.”
My brow lifted slightly. “From witches?”
“Yes,” she said. “It’s a charm against dark forces. It wards off ill–intent and curses.”
Before I could answer, Violet spoke for the first time. Her voice was soft but sincere. “It’s also said to make you immune to curses,” she added quickly. “Not that you’d ever need it, of course. I mean… you can heal yourself.”
Her awkwardness made me smile despite myself. “That’s very thoughtful of you, Violet. Thank you.”
The
young
woman’s cheeks flushed. “You saved my life,” she said quietly. “This is the least I could do.”
I closed the box carefully. “How are you feeling now?”
“I feel strong,” she said, sitting a little straighter. “Stronger than before.”
Sister Veris beamed. “She’s back to riding again,” she said proudly. “Violet used to be an excellent horse rider before that strange illness took hold. Now she’s back in the stables almost every morning. It’s a blessing.”
“That’s good to hear,” I said. “I’m glad you’ve recovered.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
For a brief moment, the room felt light. But then Violet hesitated, her fingers twisting around the edge of her cloak. She glanced at her aunt, then back at me.
“Would it be alright,” she began carefully. “If I spoke with you alone?”
Sister Veris didn’t seem surprised. She looked at her niece for a moment and then nodded, standing up. “Of
course.”
I looked between them, slightly puzzled. “Is there something you can’t say in front of Sister Veris?”
Violet shook her head. “No, Your Highness. But this is something that must be said only to you.”
That caught my attention. I nodded. “Very well.”
Sister Veris gave a small bow before turning toward the door. As she passed Grace, she murmured a few words, then left quietly. I gestured to Grace as well, signaling her to step outside and close the door behind
her.
Once the room was empty, silence immediately settled between us, thick with whatever it was she came here
to say.
Violet clasped her hands in front of her, eyes lowered. “I’m sorry for disturbing you, Your Highness,” she said, her voice small.
“None at all,” I replied. “I’m glad you came.”
She hesitated, then looked up. “I still can’t believe I’m healed. Some mornings I wake and half expect it to have vanished, that I’ll open my eyes and feel nothing again.”
I
gave a small smile. “You’re stronger than you think, Violet.”
Her lips curved faintly, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “There’s something I wanted to tell sure if I should, but… I think you need to hear it.”
you.
I wasn’t
I motioned for her to continue.
“It started with my arms,” she said. “The numbness. I thought it was just the cold at first, but it spread, slowly. Then it reached my legs, and I couldn’t walk. After that, my voice stopped working. I could still breathe, but even that felt wrong. It was like my body was… shutting down piece by piece.”
I nodded, remembering what I’d sensed while healing her, the flicker of organs failing, the faint echo of something twisted deep inside her chest. “I see,” I murmured.
Violet’s gaze drifted to the floor. “When I lost consciousness… I didn’t really lose it.”
My brows drew together. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I was still aware,” she said. “I could hear people for a while, my aunt praying, the healers moving around, but after that, everything went quiet. It felt like I was somewhere else.”
“Somewhere else?” I asked, leaning forward slightly.
She nodded, her voice lowering. “It’s hard to explain. It wasn’t a dream. It was like being in another room, dark, cold, and cut off from everything. I couldn’t move, but I knew something was there with me. Watching.”
A faint chill ran through me, though the room was warm. “And when I healed you?”
“That’s when I felt it change,” she said. “I remember the warmth, and then… a pull. Like I was being dragged away from that place. But something didn’t want to let go.”
I froze. “Something?”
Violet nodded again, her expression tightening. “It fought you. I could feel it. Whatever it was, it was holding me there, and you were pulling me back.”
The silence between us stretched.
Finally, she lifted her head. Her voice was calm now, too calm. “That’s why I came today. I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It made me wonder…”
My pulse kicked once, uneasy. “Wonder what?”
Then out of nowhere, her mouth curved into a small, unsettling smile.
“How were you able to heal me?” she asked softly. Then, as if savoring the words, she repeated them, slowly this time. “How are you… someone without a wolf… able to heal me?”
The question hung in the air like a weight.
Violet’s eyes met mine then, and for a heartbeat, they didn’t look like hers at all. Something cold flickered there, something that didn’t belong to her.
The air in the room seemed to thin.
I didn’t answer.
And she just kept smiling.
