Narrator's POVThe Spellman Mortuary was quiet when they returned. The lamps flickered in the parlor, and the air smelled faintly of candle wax and old wood. Keiran excused himself quickly, retreating into the shadows of the house.
But Sabrina couldn't let it go. Her chest felt tight with the weight of unanswered questions. She needed to talk.
Sabrina's POVShe found Ambrose in the library, lounging across the sofa with a book in one hand and a glass of red wine in the other. He looked up, brow arched.
"Ah, cousin. Back from your scholarly endeavors?" His tone was teasing, but his eyes sharpened when he noticed her expression.
Sabrina sat down heavily, dropping her bag beside her. "Something happened tonight."
Ambrose tilted his head, curiosity flaring. "Do tell."
Narrator's POVShe told him everything. The crack in the street. The flaming beast that had crawled out of Hell. And Keiran — how he had fought, how his eyes had glowed, how his magic seemed to burn beyond anything a witch should have been capable of.
By the time she finished, Ambrose's playful smirk was gone.
Ambrose's POVInteresting. Very interesting.
Keiran had always carried himself differently — calm, watchful, sharp as a blade yet quiet as a shadow. Ambrose had noticed it from the first time they'd met. But he'd assumed it was just discipline, or trauma.
Now… now it sounded like something else entirely.
"You're certain you saw his eyes change?" Ambrose asked softly.
Sabrina nodded. "I know what I saw."
Ambrose tapped a finger against his lips, thoughtful.
Ambrose's POV (cont'd)"If you're right, then our Keiran isn't just dabbling in advanced witchcraft. There's something else simmering beneath that skin. Something he doesn't want us to see."
Sabrina frowned. "You think he's dangerous?"
Ambrose gave her a sly smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Dangerous? Perhaps. But dangerous doesn't always mean bad, cousin. It just means… interesting."
Sabrina's POVShe hugged her knees, her voice smaller now. "I just don't get it. Why would he hide it from me? From us?"
Ambrose leaned back, sipping his wine. "People wear masks for many reasons, Sabrina. Protection. Shame. Power. Love. The real question isn't what he is."
He set the glass down, eyes glinting."It's who he's protecting by keeping it hidden."
Sabrina's stomach twisted. She didn't like that answer.Not at all.
Narrator's POVUpstairs, alone in his room, Keiran sat in silence. His reflection in the darkened window stared back at him — eyes that had burned with too much truth earlier tonight.
He whispered to himself, a vow that no one could hear."I'll protect her. Even if it means she hates me for the lies."
And from the shadows of Hell, far below, Lucifer smiled.