Reader pov~~~
Aurelia stirred beneath the silk sheets, her fingers brushing the faint warmth left behind.
Draven was gone.
For a moment, she lay still, letting her eyes trace the high ceiling of the unfamiliar room. The memory of his arms around her lingered like heat in her chest __ unwelcome and oddly comforting.
But he was gone, again. Like a ghost of a dream she hadn't dared to admit wanting.
She sat up slowly, the silken sheets falling from her shoulders, her hair tumbling around her face. The room was grand, but empty. Her thoughts echoed in the silence
Why did he hold me like that last night?
She had many questions to be answered.
Pulling on a robe, she stepped into the hallway, barefoot and uncertain. The manor was beginning to stir __ distant footsteps echoed faintly, and soft morning light spilled through the long windows.
She nearly collided with someone in the corridor.
"Oh!" she gasped, stepping back.
Seraphina stood there, holding two mugs of something steaming and fragrant.
She was dressed in black trousers and an oversized cream blouse tucked lazily at her waist, she looked refreshed __ sharp as always, but with a slight gleam of mischief in her grey eyes.
"You look like you saw a ghost" she said with a smirk.
Aurelia blinked __ and laughed. A real one, unexpected and light. "I thought you were a ghost."
Seraphina raised a brow. "Rude. I come bearing tea."
She handed over one of the mugs. The warmth of rose chai seeped into Aurelia's fingers, and the aroma __ floral and spiced __ felt like a balm.
But beneath the tea and teasing hung something heavier. The memory of Nyra, wounded. Of Draven's fury. Of Seraphina's silence afterward.
Aurelia looked at her, unsure. "Are you… okay? After what happened?"
Seraphina rolled her eyes. "Please. I've been getting scolded by Draven since I could walk."
Aurelia blinked. "Seriously?"
"Oh yes." She took a long sip of her chai. "You should've seen the time I smuggled a dagger into a peace dinner. Nearly stabbed a diplomat under the table because he insulted my boots."
Aurelia stared. "You didn't."
"I was seven. A girl needs options."
The laughter came again, this time louder. Aurelia nearly spilled her tea.
When they both finally settled, Aurelia looked at her again __ really looked. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "For dragging you into that. And for or getting Nyra hurt."
Seraphina sighed, not with annoyance __ but with a kind of fond exasperation. "You didn't drag me. I made my own choice. And honestly? It was worth it just to see Draven look like he swallowed fire." Her smirk returned. "He nearly smoked from the ears."
Aurelia giggled. "He really was mad."
"Mmh. He'll get over it."
Seraphina nudged her shoulder lightly. "Now, come on. Let's feed Nyra before she thinks we forgot her and chews through the fence."
_______
Behind the villa
The early sunlight filtered through the canopy in golden beams as they stepped into Nyra's enclosure. Birds chirped lazily, and the air was rich with the scent of leaves and soil.
Nyra was already waiting.
The shadow-beast padded forward slowly, her sleek black form blending into the mist. Her glowing eyes locked on Aurelia, and without hesitation, she brushed her massive head against Aurelia's side.
"She remembers," Aurelia whispered, stroking her soft fur.
"She likes you," Seraphina said, observing from the fence. "That's rare. Even for me, she took months to trust."
Aurelia knelt beside the creature, smiling faintly. "She's beautiful."
For a moment, there was peace. The woods quiet. The world small and soft.
Until the sound of tires crackled over the gravel.
Was it Draven?
Aurelia rose to her feet. "Someone's here?"
Seraphina stilled, her body going tense.
A sleek black car pulled up near the front courtyard __ long, glossy, expensive. The doors unlocked with a mechanical click. Guards near the gates straightened.
Seraphina let out a slow, annoyed sigh. "Of course. She always knows how to ruin a moment."
Aurelia looked at her. "Who?"
Seraphina's tone was bone-dry. "Vivienne."
A car just came in.
The door swung open, and the woman who stepped out might as well have walked off a runway.
Crimson heels. A long ivory coat with fur trim. Black sunglasses. Her lips were blood-red, and her hair cascaded in dark waves down her back. Everything about her screamed confidence; the kind that was earned, not inherited.
She moved like a storm in silk.
"Sera," she purred, her voice rich as velvet. "Darling, you look divine."
Seraphina pushed off the fence, arms crossed. "Viv. Still dramatic."
They met halfway. An air-kiss on both cheeks. Shared history in every practiced movement.
Aurelia watched from behind Nyra, unsure whether to approach or vanish.
Then Vivienne turned toward her.
She removed her sunglasses with slow elegance. Her eyes were amber, sharp and observant.
"And this must be…" Vivienne paused, lips curling. "The girl."
Aurelia stepped forward, her voice steady despite the knot in her stomach. "I'm Aurelia."
Vivienne tilted her head, smiling sweetly. "Of course you are. You are so brave."
The words were dipped in honey and poison.
Nyra let out a low growl behind Aurelia. Vivienne's eyes flicked to her — a flicker of caution, then a smirk.
Seraphina, sensing the tension, stepped between them lightly. "Vivienne's staying with us for a few days."
Aurelia blinked. "Staying?"
"Oh yes," Vivienne said, brushing a nonexistent speck of dust from her coat. "Just a short visit. Draven and I have… things to catch up on."
She turned toward the manor, heels clicking like a metronome of doom. "Don't worry, Aurelia. I won't get in your way."
She smiled over her shoulder, too brightly. "Unless I do."
Unless I do? What was that supposed to mean?
Aurelia watched her back as she left.
Aurelia stood frozen.
What was that feeling in her chest? Tight, hot, unfamiliar.
Jealousy.
She hated it.
Seraphina stepped beside her, eyes on Vivienne's retreating figure. "Well," she said dryly, "this is going to be fun."