My eyes snapped open, and the full moon hung high, casting a cold, silver glow over the park. The air smelled of blood and charred grass. I turned to my side and froze. Adrien lay there, lifeless, a stake protruding from his chest. My stomach dropped, and memories hit me in waves—the call from Juliet, how I had rushed here despite Adrien’s warnings that something about her sudden change was suspicious, the wolf leaping out of nowhere, the brutal fight with Timi and the two other vampires, the desperate way Adrien had come to my aid, and how Timi had driven the stake into him—and into me. I thought I was dead. Yet, somehow, here I was, lying in my own cold blood, my heart a few steps away from me. How was this even possible? I sat up shakily, my body trembling. I turned back to Adrien, his lifeless eyes staring at the moonlight, and reached for him. My hands shook as I pulled the stake from his chest, closing his eyes gently. A wave of anguish tore through me. His death hurt like a k

“So… where do you plan on going?” My voice sounded smaller than I intended as I sat on the edge of the bed, watching Francis pack. He moved quietly, folding shirts with mechanical precision, placing them into the open luggage at his feet. His shoulders trembled with every breath. He sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. “Wherever the wind blows,” he murmured. My throat tightened. “I… I wish there was something I could do.” “But there isn’t,” he cut in gently, not unkindly. “There’s no need to talk about it.” “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “No need to be sorry.” He paused then, his hand hovering over the half-zipped luggage. Slowly, he turned to look at me—eyes already swelling with fresh grief. “I think she knew,” he said quietly. “Somehow, she knew this would happen. She’d been acting… different lately.” “Different how?” I asked, leaning forward. Francis’s gaze dropped. His voice cracked as he swallowed the words. “Don’t… don’t bother. Just forget about

By the time I got back to the house, the first thing that hit me wasn’t the quiet— It was the smell. Rich, smoky, spiced. Jerk chicken… and pork. I didn’t even realize how tense I’d been until that scent wrapped around me and pulled me in. I stepped inside, closing the door behind me, and followed it straight to the kitchen. There she was. Oshun stood by the stove, moving with ease, turning the meat, checking the heat like she’d done it a thousand times. For a moment, I just stood there watching her… letting the normalcy sink in. Then I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She didn’t flinch. She just smiled softly and placed her left hand on my hair, fingers resting gently against my head. “Are you okay?” she asked. I hesitated. “Yeah,” I said. She tilted her head slightly. “Your heartbeat says something different.” I exhaled quietly. “It’s nothing,” I muttered. “Just… had a weird encounter at the bar.” She turned slightly in my

We stepped back into the house together, the warmth and laughter swallowing us like nothing had happened outside. Lloyd looked up first, a wide grin on his face. “Well, that was a long smoke,” he said. Hazel chuckled lightly, setting her glass down. “I was beginning to think you both got lost out there.” Hakim spoke before I could. “Just needed some fresh air,” he said smoothly. “Good conversation.” I nodded along. “Yeah… just talking.” It sounded normal enough. Too normal. I walked back over and sat beside Oshun, my movements slower now, more deliberate. I reached for her hand under the table and held it tightly. She turned to me immediately, her eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re scared,” she said quietly. I forced a small shake of my head. “It’s nothing.” But she didn’t look convinced. Before she could press further, Hazel stood up, clapping her hands together softly. “Well,” she said with a bright smile, “we were waiting for you. Now that you’re here… it