TALIA*
Steam curled around the bathroom like a lover's embrace. Talia twisted the water heater knob until the temperature turned just shy of boiling. As the heat seeped into her skin, her mind began to drift...unbidden, back to the memory that haunted her most of all.
Kael.
His breath had fanned against her neck during one of their late training sessions. She'd stumbled, barely, and he'd caught her from behind. Hard chest pressed to her back, strong hands lingering at her waist.. just a moment too long. She hadn't moved.
She could still feel the place where his hand brushed the space between her hip and thigh.
A shiver slid down her spine.
Talia exhaled sharply, shaking the thought away. "Get it together," she muttered. "He's a demon. You're a Light Chaser. Focus."
Just then, her phone vibrated violently on the sink counter.
She grabbed it with dripping fingers.
Sarah.
"Hello?"
"Talia!" Sarah's voice chirped, bright and breathless. "Thank the stars. Can you come in early? There's this crazy-hot trio that walked into Pale Lantern yesterday and nearly made every woman here melt. They're back, and I'm dying to talk."
Talia blinked. "Back?"
"Yeah. Seriously. One of them is like... ethereal pretty, like storybook prince kind of pretty. The other two are total opposites but equally intimidating. You have to come. I'm saving you the good gossip!"
Talia groaned. "Fine, fine. I'll be there in thirty."
Sarah squealed and hung up.
---
Pale Lantern Bar, tucked in the edge of the human district, was all low lighting, red leather booths, and music soft enough to lull secrets from lips. Talia clocked in, adjusting her black button-down and apron.
Sarah was already by the counter, eyes wide with excitement. She was all sunshine and sugar... chestnut curls, bright hazel eyes, and the kind of innocence that made men lean closer without meaning to.
"They're over there," she whispered, nudging Talia toward the back booth.
Three men occupied the table.
One sat closest to the edge, sipping whiskey. His face was plain but rugged, like someone carved from stone. A jagged scar ran from his right brow down to his cheekbone, marring an otherwise symmetrical face. He scanned the room slowly, like he was memorizing exit points.
Beside him lounged a man cloaked in shadows... literally. His features were sharp and predatory, eyes a deep obsidian that swallowed light. He radiated menace, even as he nursed his drink with silent precision.
And at the center sat the most striking of all.
Golden hair curled behind his ears, falling slightly over his brows. High cheekbones, a sculpted jaw, and eyes the color of a clear summer sky. He smiled lazily, fingers drumming against the table.
Talia's breath caught.
They weren't normal.
They were something else.
Something... darker.
She didn't know what exactly they were... but the air around them felt charged. Her instincts screamed at her to stay alert. Her training whispered one word: demons.
Still, she sensed nothing from them directly. No powers flaring, no aura pulsing. Just silence. Controlled. Measured.
Dangerous.
"Talia," Sarah whispered. "The golden one keeps staring at me. He's like... wow."
The man caught Sarah's gaze and smiled like he'd been waiting just for her. She flushed so red, Talia thought she might faint.
"I'll take their table," Talia said quickly.
Sarah pouted. "No fair."
"I'm senior. Perks."
---
Talia approached the trio with practiced calm.
"Welcome to Pale Lantern. Can I get you something stronger than whiskey this time?"
The golden-haired man tilted his head. "That depends. What's your name?"
"Talia."
"Lovely. I'm Brynn." He gestured with a flawless smile. "That's Zarrok... he likes knives and brooding. And that mountain of silence is Ilaith. He doesn't like... anything."
Zarrok grunted.
Ilaith didn't move.
Brynn leaned closer, voice low. "You weren't here last night. That's a shame."
"Was it?" she asked.
He chuckled. "You don't play nice, do you?"
"Depends on the game."
Behind her, Sarah peeked around the counter, eyes wide with envy.
Talia took their order and walked back to the bar, her mind racing.
She didn't know these men.
But she'd be an idiot not to assume they weren't trouble.
She glanced again.
Brynn was still smiling. Zarrok's eyes were still on her. Ilaith... was watching Sarah.
A flicker of unease moved in Talia's chest.
They weren't ordinary demons.
But they hadn't noticed her. Not really. No sign they could feel the Void or what simmered beneath her skin.
Still...
They were here for a reason.
And if Kael didn't already know… she'd make sure he found out.
---
Back at their booth, Brynn sipped his drink with the ease of someone who didn't care if the world burned tomorrow.
"She's cautious," he said casually.
Zarrok nodded. "And trained. That one's no civilian."
Ilaith remained still, watching Sarah more than Talia.
"We're not making a move tonight," Zarrok murmured. "Just gather intel. Veyros wants subtle."
Brynn yawned. "Subtle is boring. But fine. She's cute. The bartender, too. Maybe I'll stay awhile."
---
By the time Talia finished her shift, Brynn had given Sarah enough charm to last three lifetimes. She was practically glowing.
"They're not from around here," she whispered as they cleaned up. "Brynn said he might come back tomorrow. Isn't that wild?"
"Wild," Talia echoed, her stomach tight.
She needed to warn Kael.
Before these strangers stopped smiling... and started hunting.