Chapter 12 Summary:
Narrative Version: Driven by an ache in her heart for her younger sister, Adora, Lisette finds herself drawn to the silent, towering shelves of the royal library. She knows that every moment spent in this realm is a moment away from the only family she has left, and the weight of Joshua’s marriage condition begins to feel like a tightening noose. With trembling hands, she pours over ancient, dust-covered tomes, searching for any mention of a rift, a spell, or a secret path that could lead a human back to the mortal world without the King's permission. The air in the library is heavy with the scent of old parchment and secrets, and the more she reads, the more she realizes how impossible her escape truly is.
Just as despair begins to take hold, the silence is shattered by the sharp click of heels on the stone floor. Out of the shadows emerges Lady Caroline, whose presence is as cold as it is elegant. Instead of reporting Lisette’s treachery to Joshua, Caroline offers a chilling smile. She reveals that she knows exactly what Lisette is looking for and claims to have the fastest means of sending her back to the human world. It is an offer that sounds too good to be true, leaving Lisette caught between her burning desire to see Adora again and the gut feeling that Lady Caroline’s "help" might come with a price far more dangerous than Joshua’s marriage contract.
