Page 1 of Bound By Her

PROLOGUE

ROME

Toes. Ten toes curled around the smooth, cold stone. The water beside her remained eerily still. Unlike the vast ocean, where the water begins as a gentle light blue near the shore and deepens into a dark abyss as you move further out, this pool was shrouded in an impenetrable inky blackness.

Adria stared at her feet, just inches from the water’s edge. The pool waited—silent, watchful, ancient. Her father had told her these waters predated even the earliest ancestors of the Nine. They had always been here. Long before men gave them purpose.

She glanced behind her.

Rows of eyes stared back.

Some belonged to her father’s friends, seasoned heads of the Nine. Others were younger—heirs, like she had once been. The eldest children of powerful families. Most barely old enough to understand what they were about to witness. Some as young as five.

But it was their eyes that struck her hardest.

Wide with awe. Heavy with dread.

They weren’t just watching her. They were staring at their future.

Because one day, they would stand here. Barefoot on this same stone, with the weight of legacy pressed into their spine. The pool would wait for them, too.

And if they failed…

Adria knew they would stare at the pool the hardest after she jumped. Their insides churning, haunted by visions of the present and future.

A hand grasped her shoulder, and she turned. It was Alessandro, head of the Nine. Next to him was Jonathan, her father’s Right Hand.

Alessandro turned her to face him, grasping both shoulders, his kind eyes finding hers.

“Child, there is not a doubt in my mind that you can do this. No one likes to see an initiate take on the task of ascension so young, but we do not choose when we die. And eventually, the darkness consumes us all.”

Adria nodded, feeling her heart pounding in her chest as she struggled to maintain her composure. She hoped that Alessandro wouldn’t notice the sweat beading down her back.

He gave her a solemn nod before turning to face the counsel. Jonathan tried to rest a hand on her back, but she twisted away.

“The darkness is nothing to fear,” Alessandro said, his voice booming into the cavern. “Because we are the darkness; we are the shadows. May the unseen hand steady your course, and may your balance never falter?—”

“—We are the Balance. We are the Watchers. We are the Fear.”

Everyone in attendance whispered in return, “We are the fear.”

Adria whispered the Nine’s motto to herself. Somewhere behind her, it was etched on the stone walls. Along with the Nine’s family symbols.

“For over five hundred years, the Nine have ruled. Maintaining balance, we guide and are the unseen powerbetween order and chaos. Kings and Queens rule, and we let them, allowing them to believe they rule unchallenged—but we know the truth: the Nine are the ones that shape empires. And while it is hard to see young Adria have to take on this task, it is our rituals and dogma that have held us together. That bind us, and guide us.”

“Adria,” Alessandro said, turning to meet her eyes once again, “we all believe we will see you at the next opposition. But in order to ascend and take your place as head of the family, you must first be reborn.”

He took a step towards her, and Adria’s body shook. She didn’t want to be scared. She wanted to be brave. She wanted every young eye to look at her and feel less fear.

So, when theirtimecame, they would be brave, andtheirsuccessors would then be brave when it was their turn.

Because as long as the Nine continued their reign, the ritual of the eldest would continue.

Ascend or die.

The knife from Alessandro’s robe flashed, and Adria had to bite her tongue to keep from crying out as the metal pierced her skin. She closed her eyes, severing contact with those around her.

Two cuts at the base of each wrist. Two members of the counsel were ready with golden chalices to collect the blood as it poured from her veins. If she lived, they would toast to her victory. If she failed, they would pour the cups over the dark waters.

---