Page 8 of Crown of Ashes and Desire

For a moment, genuine surprise flashed across his features, followed by something that might have been admiration. Then his expression hardened again, shadows dancing across the mark I’d left.

“You’ve grown stronger. Good. You’ll need that strength in the days to come. We can help each other, Ada,” he continued, as if I hadn’t just struck him. “I know the ancient laws, and I know that your father placed certain requirements that you must fulfill to maintain your divine inheritance. Now, by binding with me, you fulfill your obligation. If you remain bound to me for the required time, you will inherit your father’s divine light, and after that, our paths can diverge.”

Technically, he was right, and it was bitterly ironic how fate played with my life. The divine clause was deliberatelyobscure—my father had designed it to ensure only a worthy heir could claim his legacy. Deniz’s shadow magic was barely a flicker compared to what the binding required—not because the shadow couldn’t bind with light, but because his power was too diluted by mortal blood to satisfy the ancient requirements for divine inheritance.

My father, Gün Ata himself, had chosen Hakan for me, but then my future husband had discovered he was the heir to Kara Cehennem and stopped caring for me, claiming I wasn’t worthy of standing beside the heir to darkness. The memory of that day returned with vivid clarity—Hakan, his face twisted with newfound arrogance, telling me that a daughter of light could never be the consort of the Shadow Prince.

I discovered the divine clause after my father’s ascension. I had to bind with another magical being to inherit his light magic fully, and I had to maintain that bond for some time. We separated after my father’s death, and then I spiraled into despair. It took me one month to discover I was with child. When I finally gathered the courage to tell Hakan, he refused to see me. I gave birth without him, and afterward, my mind shattered completely. Madness consumed me for nearly two years while Nadine cared for Kiraz. When I finally recovered, Nadine remained heavily involved in raising her.

I stared at Hakan, uncertain if I could bear to be around him for the next few months without killing him—or worse, without him discovering Kiraz. This man had changed into a cold, calculating, and cruel shadow lord when he’d found out he could potentially control Kara Cehennem. He had no idea what his abandonment had cost me—years spent in the sanctuary when the grief and shock had finally broken my mind. The whispers that Gün Ata’s daughter had gone mad with heartbreak.

“It seems you’ve already decided for me, and I have no other choice.” I felt trapped but determined to find a way out.

“It seems so, if you want to claim your divine inheritance,” he added with a cold smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Perhaps you should thank me.”

“Thank you?” I repeated, incredulous. “I’d rather thank a viper for its bite. Your father may be the lord of Hell, Hakan, but you’re the veritable monster in that family. At least Erlik doesn’t pretend to be capable of love before revealing his true nature.”

His smile turned vicious. “And yet here you are, bound to this monster by ancient magic. How does it feel, daughter of Gün Ata, to be chained to everything you claim to despise?”

The walls themselves seemed to pulse with darkness, and in the corners of the room, shadow creatures formed and dissolved, responding to their master’s mood. I shuddered at his presence and loathed it. This man had only caused pain, so much pain and resentment within me. Of course, my family wasn’t here; they couldn’t cross over to the dark realm to check on me. The Shadow Court and Light Court had always been in conflict. My arranged marriage to Deniz was a first step against violence.

“You disgust me,” I said, and that memory flashed through me—entering our bedchamber to find him with another woman, her body pressed against his, his hands where only mine had been. The look in his eyes when he saw me standing there—not surprise, not regret, just cold dismissal. “You’re nothing to me,” he’d said. “You never were.”

That moment had shattered everything I thought I knew about us. “You’re nothing but a hollow shell of the man I once loved. There’s nothing left inside you but shadow and ambition.”

“And yet you still desire me,” he replied, his voice a silken. My skin crawled. “Even though I chose power over you all those years ago. Even knowing that I made that choice deliberately, telling myself I was protecting you while I pursued what I truly wanted.” His eyes darkened, shadows swirling in their depths.

I scoffed, wanting to rip his tongue from his mouth. There was no way he could sense anything; soon, I would ask Melo to help me mask all my emotions, so he could feel the void of his darkness.

“So, it’s settled then.” Back with a coldness that belied his words. “I’ve returned from exile for good, and Sarp has prepared the eastern wing of my estate; you could move there immediately. I believe Sarp is arranging to have your possessions brought from your uncle’s house.”

“This cannot stand. You murdered my betrothed and forced me into a binding on my wedding day. Do you truly believe I would consent to live alongside you in your palace as if nothing happened?” I said. My skin blazed with anger toward him, light magic shimmering just beneath the surface.

“He wasn’t good for you, Ada. Deniz wasn’t the man you thought him to be, so technically, I saved you from him,” he said, staring at me with those haunting green eyes that matched our daughter’s so perfectly it hurt.

“And what exactly would you know about what’s ‘good for me’?” I laughed bitterly. “You, who left me broken beyond repair? Do you have any idea what happened to me after months of trying to speak to you? Do you even care?”

Something flickered in his expression, a momentary crack in his cold facade. “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing,” I spit. I realized I’d said too much. The last thing I needed was for him to know how completely he’d destroyed me—how the light inside me had nearly gone out permanently after he’d put a wall between us. “You do not know what kind of man Deniz truly was, so leave me alone.”

“Rest,” he said, almost gently, before his expression hardened again. “You’ll need your strength for what’s coming.”

With that cryptic statement, he turned and left the room. Only when the door closed behind him did I allow myself to breathe freely again.

I was alone at last.My thoughts immediately returned to Kiraz. What was she doing now? Was she afraid, sensing something was wrong through our magical connection? I closed my eyes and reached out through our bond, sending a gentle pulse of reassuring light magic—a silent promise that no matter what, I would find my way back to her.

Melo slipped into the chamber, her golden fur almost phosphorescent against the shadow-infused walls. She raised her hackles, and her turquoise eyes blazed with fury.

“I could smell him from down the hall,” she growled and leaped onto the bed. “That arrogant, shadow-licking bastard. Say the word and I’ll tear his throat out while he sleeps. I don’t care if he’s the heir to all the darkness in the world—no one treats my Ada like this.”

Despite everything, I felt a smile tugging at my lips. Melo’s loyalty had been my one constant through the darkest times. “As tempting as that sounds, I think we need a plan that doesn’t involve you becoming a fur pelt on his wall. You know how resourceful I am when it comes to men I despise.”

“Please,” Melo scoffed. She tossed her head with feline disdain, “as if he could catch me. I’d have his jugular between my teeth before he even realized I was there.” She settled beside me, her warmth a small comfort. “Besides, have you seen the decor in this place? All shadows and gloom. My gorgeous coat would brighten up the whole dismal aesthetic.”

I laughed, surprised I still could. Then sobered quickly. “I need to get out of here, Melo. I need to get to Kiraz.”

“I’ve been exploring,” she said, her tone shifting to serious. “This place is a maze of hallways and secrets. But I may have found a way out.”

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