Mina stared at Raya, confused and suspicious.
"Go somewhere? Like where?" she asked, arms folded tight across her chest. She didn't trust the rich, especially not the kind offering random takeouts like they were charity workers.
Raya tilted her head slightly, lips curling into something between a smirk and a dare.
"Somewhere better than this club. You look like you need an upgrade."
Mina's heart thudded.
"What do I look like to you, some charity case?" she snapped.
"Not a charity case," Raya replied smoothly. "But definitely someone who's had a rough night. You're bruised, alone, and trying too hard not to look like you're desperate."
Mina blinked. "Wow. You're not even trying to hide the attitude, are you?"
"I don't have to." Raya stepped closer, her voice dropping a notch. "But I do notice things. Like how you keep glancing at the VIP exits... like you're hoping someone will take you with them."
Mina stiffened and stepped back slightly, suddenly defensive.
"I-I-I did no such thing... y-you don't know me."
She chewed on her words. Deep down, she knew her hazel eyes had been searching—but not for what Raya was implying.
"Maybe not. But I can guess." Raya's amber gaze pinned her. "That man upstairs—did he pay well?"
She passed Mina a knowing look, daring her to lie.
Mina's face tightened. "That's none of your business."
Raya chuckled. "Didn't think so. You don't look like you enjoy it. You just look... hungry. Starving, actually. You want money. I can see right through you."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Raya's eyes traced Mina's figure—pausing on her face, soaking in the long, roughly curled brown hair, hazel eyes, soft jawline, and full pink lips. Her gaze slid downwards, noting the bruises, the dress clinging just right, the small scars etched like stories on skin.
Wild, she thought.
"I mean, your body screams survival. That bruise? That dress? It's all a message. But you're not selling it right. You look more like someone who needs saving... than someone selling pleasure."
Mina rolled her eyes. "Save it. I know your type. You see a girl alone and think you can play some twisted heroine card."
"Oh, I'm no heroine," Raya murmured, the corners of her lips curling. "And I'm definitely not here to play games."
"Yeah? Then what do you want?"
Raya didn't answer immediately. Her amber eyes softened, voice lowering into a tone so smooth it felt like a trap.
"You. Maybe for a night. Nothing long. Depends on how good you can be."
Mina scoffed, stepping back again. "I don't do girls, alright? Whatever fantasy you've got spinning in your head, cancel it."
"You're quick to assume I want your heart," Raya said calmly. "That's not what I asked for. I said I'll pay better."
Mina blinked, momentarily speechless.
"I'm not some experiment," she said. "You can keep your creepy vibes and your 'offer.' I'm not going anywhere with you."
Raya arched her brow. "So you're staying here? Broke, penniless, and bruised? Waiting for some drunk loser to use you, fuck you roughly, and maybe toss you a few bills if he remembers? This club is full of fakes. They'll eat you alive and leave you hollow. Don't act like money doesn't tempt you."
Mina's jaw tightened. That part hit too close.
"Tempting doesn't mean I'm stupid. You could be a fake too," she muttered.
Raya chuckled low. "Smart girl. But even smart girls break when they're tired."
"You're annoying," Mina snapped. "Meddling, rude, egotistic, and dark like some villain in a soap opera. Stay away from me."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned sharply and walked away. Her heels struck the floor with sharp clicks, faster now, fueled by anger—or maybe nerves. She didn't look back, but she could feel it—Raya's eyes, cool and calculating, still on her.
Raya's expression shifted. The playfqfaded. Her glare turned dark. Empty again.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raya stood with her arms crossed, her gaze sharp and unreadable. Saira stepped up beside her, brows furrowed.
"What was that?" Saira asked, her tone tight. "This isn't why we came."
Raya's voice cut through like ice. "Relax, Saira. I was just testing if she's tied to the rogues. I'm not here to play with her. I have a mate waiting in the kingdom. Lovana's probably counting the minutes."
Saira snorted. "Bullshit , cut the crap. You don't like Lovana, but at least acknowledge her. Now focus—no more side shows."
Raya's lips curled into a cold smirk. "I swear on my crown, if she tried following me, I'd kill her without a second thought."
Saira's eyes narrowed. "Too much. Keep your mind on the mission. That girl isn't an ally to the rogues —I can feel it."
She looked around, eyes flicking over bodies pressed close, sweat and smoke thick in the air.
"This place is disgusting. Let's leave."
Raya gave a sharp nod. "Fine. Let's go."
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vaelrix stood in the club at a hidden dark corner, his dark silver eye tracking Xiraya and her sorceress as they slipped out of sight.
"So, the queen of Drakhalia came for a little hunt," he muttered under his breath, a smug curl at his lip. "I knew it. Those weak dragons won't last. She'll take them out, one by one."
He downed the last of his drink and set the glass aside like it was nothing.
"But that's her game. I've got mine."
He pushed through the crowd and stepped out of the club into the night.
The air was cold, rough. Trash skittered across the sidewalk, city noise humming low in the distance. Then—
The chanting.
It slammed into his head like a sudden wave. Low, deep, endless, inhuman sounds it was …just there.
He stumbled slightly, eyes narrowing as his pulse picked up.
"The spell book…" he muttered.
It was calling again. Loud this time. Raw. Like it had been touched.
Not open. Not used.
Just… brushed.
His fingers twitched.
"No," he whispered. "No one was supposed to get that close."
He clenched his jaw, breathing in sharp. He couldn't trace it. The energy was scrambled, fuzzy. But the call was real. Something or someone made contact. And that wasn't supposed to happen. At least none he knows of.
"I will find that book , no matter what it takes, I will bring down hell on Drakhalia, I will burn them to ashes ."