That afternoon, I try my best to be normal. Aunt Mirabel hums in the kitchen, chopping veggies like nothing happened, but I can feel the tension in the air—a thick layer of secrets pressing on my chest.
The birthday decorations look pretty cute. Balloons bounce on the ceiling, and the chocolate cake smells amazing. But my thoughts keep looping back to the voices I heard, that weird shimmer on my skin, and the strange words about bloodlines and kingdoms.
After lunch, I go to my room and pull the curtains wide open, searching as sunlight pours in. There it is again—my skin shimmers where the rays touch, almost like invisible angel wings or a hidden tattoo.
Aunt Mirabel knocks softly and sits beside me on my bed. She looks tired, maybe a little scared. "Lucy, there's something you need to know. Something I should've told you a long time ago."
The air goes still.
Suddenly, a shadow flickers across the window. For a fraction of a second, I see the silhouette of a tall, dark figure—eyes burning gold—and I shiver, knowing he looks just like the man in my dream.
*"Welcome back, my wife to be…"*
His words echo in my head.
Aunt Mirabel squeezes my hand. "Lucy, everything is about to change."