Seraphine’s suspicion of Malik and the curse softened, the edges worn down by his steady resolve. He had sought her out, prevented the hunger from consuming her entirely, and even shielded her from the shame of taking Yoon’s life—a kindness she hadn’t expected from a Vrai, not with the weight of their families’ bloodied history. Yet here he was, protecting her not just from the curse but from herself, guarding her already precarious standing in the Archon’s court.
She hesitated as his question lingered in the air, her lips parting as though to speak before closing again. Finally, she murmured,
Her body tensed as Malik’s arm wrapped around her again, pulling her toward the wall, his warmth both a comfort and a reminder of how close he was. She braced herself against the vulnerability of the moment, unsure if sleep would come. But then his hand began to move, fingers pressing firmly yet delicately into her arm. The tension she carried so tightly in her shoulders began to melt under the slow, rhythmic motion. She let out a small, involuntary sigh as he worked his way up to her neck, his touch easing the knots there.
Her thoughts grew hazy, her eyelids heavy as he continued the gentle circuit, his hands lulling her into a state of calm she hadn’t felt in years. The curse, her family’s legacy, the precariousness of her place in the Archon’s court—it all began to fade, swept away by the steady rhythm of his hands and the quiet sound of his breathing behind her.
Before long, sleep took her, her body relaxing completely against him. Her last thought before slipping into the darkness was the faint hope that the dreams wouldn’t come, and if they did, that Malik’s judgment would spare her the worst of them.
When Seraphine awoke, the first thing she noticed was the stillness of the room. She blinked against the morning light streaming through the window, turning her head to find the bed empty. Malik was gone, and so was the cot with Annie. The air felt cooler without his presence, the faint scent of him lingering as a reminder of the night before.
Her gaze shifted to the foot of the bed, where her dress lay folded neatly, cleaned and free of the blood that had soaked it. She sat up slowly, running her fingers over the fabric, grateful that she wouldn’t have to face the morning wrapped in Malik’s oversized shirt.
Dressing quickly, she caught her reflection in a small mirror on the wall. Her face was pale, but her eyes were steady. She gathered her things and made her way to the door, her movements quiet and deliberate as she slipped out of the townhouse.
The streets of the richer quarter were mostly empty, the quiet hum of the city waking around her. She pulled her cloak tighter against the chill as she walked back toward the Archon’s Palace, her mind racing with the hope that no one had noticed her absence. She trusted Malik enough to believe he wouldn’t speak of the night, and she could only pray her own reputation remained intact.
As the gates of the palace came into view, she squared her shoulders, pushing thoughts of Malik and the curse to the back of her mind. For now, she needed to focus on the day ahead, though she knew the night’s revelations would stay with her long after she crossed the palace threshold.
~ FIN
She hesitated as his question lingered in the air, her lips parting as though to speak before closing again. Finally, she murmured,
I’m unsure. Perhaps it’s better to leave it to your judgment.It felt strange to relinquish that control, even in something as simple as her dreams, but there was a quiet trust building between them—a tenuous, fragile thing, but there nonetheless.
Her body tensed as Malik’s arm wrapped around her again, pulling her toward the wall, his warmth both a comfort and a reminder of how close he was. She braced herself against the vulnerability of the moment, unsure if sleep would come. But then his hand began to move, fingers pressing firmly yet delicately into her arm. The tension she carried so tightly in her shoulders began to melt under the slow, rhythmic motion. She let out a small, involuntary sigh as he worked his way up to her neck, his touch easing the knots there.
Her thoughts grew hazy, her eyelids heavy as he continued the gentle circuit, his hands lulling her into a state of calm she hadn’t felt in years. The curse, her family’s legacy, the precariousness of her place in the Archon’s court—it all began to fade, swept away by the steady rhythm of his hands and the quiet sound of his breathing behind her.
Before long, sleep took her, her body relaxing completely against him. Her last thought before slipping into the darkness was the faint hope that the dreams wouldn’t come, and if they did, that Malik’s judgment would spare her the worst of them.
<~>
When Seraphine awoke, the first thing she noticed was the stillness of the room. She blinked against the morning light streaming through the window, turning her head to find the bed empty. Malik was gone, and so was the cot with Annie. The air felt cooler without his presence, the faint scent of him lingering as a reminder of the night before.
Her gaze shifted to the foot of the bed, where her dress lay folded neatly, cleaned and free of the blood that had soaked it. She sat up slowly, running her fingers over the fabric, grateful that she wouldn’t have to face the morning wrapped in Malik’s oversized shirt.
Dressing quickly, she caught her reflection in a small mirror on the wall. Her face was pale, but her eyes were steady. She gathered her things and made her way to the door, her movements quiet and deliberate as she slipped out of the townhouse.
The streets of the richer quarter were mostly empty, the quiet hum of the city waking around her. She pulled her cloak tighter against the chill as she walked back toward the Archon’s Palace, her mind racing with the hope that no one had noticed her absence. She trusted Malik enough to believe he wouldn’t speak of the night, and she could only pray her own reputation remained intact.
As the gates of the palace came into view, she squared her shoulders, pushing thoughts of Malik and the curse to the back of her mind. For now, she needed to focus on the day ahead, though she knew the night’s revelations would stay with her long after she crossed the palace threshold.
~ FIN
01-15-2025, 12:58 PM
