Kai glanced at Eevy as they slipped away from the bustling docks, the stolen green dress bundled under her arm like a secret.
The tension from the boat ride still hung between them, her body pressed close during the magic extraction, his hands steadying her as the rogue's agility seeped into him.
She'd fought the blood curse tooth and nail, eyes fierce even as it tried to claim her.
Now, with the party's glow calling from the hilltop manor, she clutched the dress tighter.
"We need a spot to change," Eevy murmured, scanning the street.
Her dark hair fell loose, framing a face flushed from the chase.
"That abandoned inn over there... looks empty."
Kai nodded, guiding her toward the building with its vine-choked door.
'She fought it off. Survived. Now she gets to see what it earns.'
The door creaked open to dust-moted quiet, and they found a back room with a cracked mirror and a rickety chair.
Sunlight slanted through grimy windows, painting her skin gold.
