FATE #3 *(A ROSE IN BLOOM)*

FROM THE GROUND UP*

GENERAL POV

Pearl burst through the door and onto the roof, leaping from one rooftop to another in pursuit of the cloaked figure.

Jemilla, meanwhile, remained within the palace under an invisibility spell—meant to draw Pearl away and ensure she would sense nothing of what was about to be done, neither through sorcery nor vampire instinct.

She made her way to the throne room and approached the throne. Her hand traced its surface as silent thoughts poured through her mind.

I was so young back then—ignorant, consumed by anger and desperation. I truly believed my child was the rightful heir. I never knew the King had no hand in her plot. I am sorry for the grief I brought upon you, Pearl—your father, your mother, your brothers.

If only the truth had been revealed earlier. Pushing you into this fate is my greatest regret. It is time to undo the curse and make this sacrifice.

Still… I am satisfied that vengeance found its way to me. She betrayed me.

She slashed her palm with one of the seals and allowed her blood to drip onto the throne. Closing her eyes, she whispered an incantation. Fireless smoke rose from the throne as she knelt before it, bowing her head in reverence.

When the smoke climbed into the open sky, a flock of nearly twenty crows descended upon it, circling and drawing it into themselves.

Pearl saw the omen from afar and turned back at once. By the time she returned, Jemilla had already completed her task and departed.

After the reporters were successfully ushered out of the palace, Lucious found himself at a crossroads—whether to trust his brother, a man long unworthy of trust, in hopes of ending Zherra… or stand by and one day watch Pearl lose her soul to her.

He spent the afternoon caught between those thoughts.

Pearl visited Devan in his oubliette. She stared at him with seething restraint, wishing there were a way to punish him without hurting her mother.

“Look,” he said, avoiding her gaze, “whatever else is going on, I’m still older than you. Your father was only a year younger than me. Show some respect and stop glaring like that. There’s nothing more you can do to hurt me—so why carry the rage?”

Pearl sensed deception.

“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?” she pressed.

She questioned the guards about his activities since morning. Slipping into their thoughts, she discovered gaps—empty stretches of time. She confronted them about why they had fallen asleep.

Finding no answers, she closed her eyes and felt the ground. That was when she realized Lucious had visited Devan earlier—though Jemilla had already erased any trace of her own visit.

Pearl sought Lucious soon after.

“Do you need anything?” he asked when she arrived. She sighed, unsure how to begin.

“Come riding with me,” she said at last. “Please. It might clear our minds.”

“All right,” he replied with unexpected excitement. “That sounds fun.”

The sun still burned high above them. He frowned slightly. “Isn’t it a little too sunny for that?”

She glanced at the sky, then back at him.
“Oh—sorry. I only thought of myself. I forget sometimes… I’m not human. What else can we do instead?”

Lucious took her hand gently.

“I don’t see you that way,” he said. “You’re Pearl. That will never change.”

He let go, unbuttoned his shirt, and smiled.
“Come on—we can still ride.”

He pulled her forward, running ahead. Eyes followed them, heavy with questions, but Pearl focused only on him, a smile forming as she did.

She decided, in that moment, to simply be Pearl—to live a normal day.

When the horses were brought out, Lucious helped her mount, his movements no different from how he would treat any human. She found that oddly comforting.

They rode off, smiling at one another. From afar, Jemilla watched them. An idea formed instantly—one that might finally draw Lucious to her side.

They raced, laughing freely. Though it was their first time, it felt as though they had done this forever. Pearl’s bright smile eased Jemilla’s heart; she watched, unable to stop herself from admiring them.

Seeing her daughter carefree, even for a moment, was more than she had hoped for.

Yet the King’s words echoed faintly in her mind. She shook them off and walked away, leaving them undisturbed.

From the far end of the stable, Thessa observed them quietly. Rumors had reached her ears, but seeing the bond for herself hurt more than she expected. She had believed Pearl harbored feelings for the King. Now she wished—selfishly—that it was her beside Lucious instead.

When they dismounted, Lucious took Pearl’s hand, and they ran together from one end of the field to the other, laughing as the wind rushed past them. Pearl realized it had been a long time since she had run as a human.

Changing her mind, she decided, had been worth it.

They collapsed onto the ground, Lucious lying back and panting, breathless. Pearl sat beside him, watching quietly.

After a moment, she scooped sand into her hands, careful to keep them away from him. Leaning in, she pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

Without warning, he rolled her over, emotion overtaking restraint. Throughout it all, Pearl clung to the sand, neutralizing the sparks surging violently from her hands.

Suddenly, a burning pain flared in her right shoulder—the site of her first bite. The pain was so sharp she groaned aloud.

Lucious immediately pulled back.
“What happened?” he asked, concern flooding his face.

The mark had long healed, leaving nothing visible. She masked the truth quickly.
“It’s nothing. I just… felt like someone was watching us.”

His eyes drifted to her hands—still dusted with sand. He remembered.

“Did I push you too hard?” he asked softly.

She dropped the sand at once.
“No—no! I just forgot my gloves. I didn’t think I’d need them, so I—”

He pulled her into a tight embrace, saying nothing.

As she rested in his arms, her thoughts returned to the moment she’d shared with the King. No sparks had appeared then—not even a trace—despite Zherra’s connection to her.

It had happened with Damian. Now with Lucious. But never with the King.

She reasoned it must be because they were human.

Burying her face in Lucious’s chest, she caught her own scent lingering on him.

“Time passed so quickly,” she said softly. “Should we head back? It’s getting dark.”

He cupped her face.
“Yes. Let’s go.”

They mounted the horses again and rode off together. Thessa was already gone.

Pearl chose not to mention her discovery as they walked toward her chambers.

“I love you, Pearl,” Lucious said quietly. “I’m sorry I waited so long. I should have told you sooner.”