#Chapter 534: The Oath of an Elder

Olivia I stepped into the dimly lit room, my heart pounding in my chest. Freya was seated on the edge of a simple cot, her back turned toward the door. Even in her human form, she exuded an aura of power and command that caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. “Freya,” I said softly, my voice barely more than a whisper. She stiffened at the sound of my voice, her shoulders tensing. Slowly, she turned to face me, and the look in her eyes nearly took my breath away. They were filled with a depth of anguish and betrayal that cut me to the core. For what felt like a long time, we just looked at each other. The months we had been apart, during those moments, felt like an eternity. I realized now, as I looked at the red-haired and utterly silent woman in front of me, that maybe I didn’t know her as much as I thought. And maybe I hadn’t considered the immense harm I brought to her by going through with the ritual. “You,” she finally said, her inner voice trem