Page 119 of The Bound Blood
Raiden’s gaze stays locked on the page. “The first part makes sense. Shadow. Mind. Beast.” His jaw tightens. “That’s us.”
“And the rest?” I ask quietly.
Nolan hesitates. “Prophecies usually escalate. The first stanza establishes anchors. The rest introduces variables.” He taps the margin lightly, careful not to touch the ink. “Meaning whatever comes next destabilizes what’s already in place.”
Kael finally speaks, voice low. “Winter’s crown.”
Nolan frowns, adjusting his glasses as he re-reads the line. “It could be metaphorical,” he says automatically. “Seasonal symbolism is common in?—”
“But notthatspecific,” Raiden cuts in.
Nolan hesitates. “…No. Not usually.”
My stomach tightens. “You think it’s a title.”
Kael nods once. “Or a position.”
Silence stretches.
Then Nolan exhales slowly. “If it refers to a crown tied to Winter—actual Winter, not just the season—then the most likely interpretation is fae.”
Raiden lets out a quiet breath. “The Winter Court.”
My pulse stutters. “Dorian.”
None of them contradict me.
Nolan grimaces. “It fits. A ruler—or heir—would have influence without needing force. Testing through opportunity, temptation, circumstance…”
Raiden’s mouth twists. “And he’s already circling.”
Kael’s shadows stir, restless. “If the prophecy is tracking players instead of predicting outcomes,” he says, “then it didn’t introduce him tonight.”
“And the book is just making us aware of him?” I ask, looking between them.
Nolan closes his eyes briefly. “That means this isn’t about something thatmighthappen.”
Raiden meets my gaze, steady and serious. “It’s about what already is.”
“Which means someone is going to betray Lindsay,” Kael says slowly. “Someone bound by oath and blood. Possibly—” He stops himself.
Raiden and Kael exchange a look.
I don’t need them to finish the thought.
“No,” I say sharply, sitting up and pushing toward my feet. “Absolutely not. Tamsin is not going to betray me. She’s my best friend.” My pulse pounds as I look to Nolan. “Tell them.”
I’m halfway to standing, ready to storm out and prove a point, when Nolan speaks.
“It doesn’t say cursed,” he says calmly, pushing his glasses back into place. “And it doesn’t say female. Or friend. It doesn’t saycloseat all.”
I freeze.
“It says bound,” he continues. “By oath and blood. That’s specific.”
My breath slows, just a fraction.
“That’s true,” Kael says, nodding once. “Tamsin isn’t bound to anyone.”
