Page 30

Six weeks.

It feels both impossibly long and startlingly short, a stretch of time that barely scratches the surface of everything we’ve endured, yet somehow, it is enough for the world to settle again. The days have softened, the sharp edges of all we’ve been through dulled to something more manageable—memories that still linger, but no longer weigh me down so completely.

I wake in a bed that is not mine but feels like home. The air in Lucian’s estate no longer carries the weight of ghosts, no longer hums with the constant tension of looming disaster. It is still dark and quiet, ancient in the way only something centuries old can be, but it is safe. It is ours.

Lucian still awakens before I do. It’s become a small comfort—rolling over in the early morning light, eyes barely open, just to find him sitting at his desk or perched in the chair by the window, already immersed in some long-forgotten text. He always looks up when he notices me, his gaze lingering, something almost unreadable in his expression before he crosses the room and presses a kiss to my temple, wordless, reverent. I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of it.

I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of him.

But it’s not just us anymore.

Lara is here.

Well, not in this house, not in this space that belongs to Lucian—and me, now—but she is here, alive, sitting across from me now as I twirl my spoon through my untouched coffee, watching her with quiet contemplation.

We meet at The Raven’s Quill every Tuesday morning before class, easing our way back into something that resembles what we once had. She is different, of course—we both are—but there are pieces of her that are still familiar. She still drinks her coffee the same way, still scrunches her nose when she’s thinking, still taps her fingers against the ceramic cup in slow, rhythmic beats when she’s lost in thought.

And she is still my sister.

Some things never change…

But some things do.

She told Mr. Fallon the truth. Not the full truth—there are some things even the most open-minded mortals and immortals would never believe—but she told him enough. Told him she was the one who hacked into student records, told him that she was not in her right mind, that she had been manipulated, controlled by one of the oldest secret societies in existence. There were consequences, of course, but the Guild stepped in where they could, providing enough evidence of supernatural influence to explain away the worst of it. She’s a student again.

And so am I.

The reinstatement process wasn’t easy, but most good things aren’t. The damage to my reputation was salvageable, and after enough meetings, enough bureaucracy, enough people whispering about me in the halls, I’ve slipped back into some semblance of normalcy. My classes feel different now, tinged with the knowledge that I will never be just another student, that my purpose here will always be more than textbooks and term papers. But I don’t mind it.

Because I’m here. I’m alive.

And for the first time in a long time, that is enough.

Lara shifts in her seat, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before meeting my gaze. “You’re staring.”

I smirk, taking a slow sip of my coffee. “You say that like you’re not used to it.”

She rolls her eyes, but there’s no malice behind it, no sharp edge to her voice. She lets me look, lets me study her, lets me pick apart every detail to reassure myself that she is real, that she is here, that she is not some lingering shadow in my mind.

“I’m fine, Sylvie,” she says, softer now, her fingers curling around her cup for warmth. “I know you’re waiting for me to fall apart, but I promise, I’m okay.”

I exhale slowly, leaning forward to rest my chin on my hand. “Yeah?”

She nods with a slow stretching smile. “Yeah.”

For the first time in six weeks, I almost believe her. Each day is better, and we’re closer to ourselves than we have been in a long, long time.

I reach across the table, letting my hand settle over hers, squeezing lightly. She squeezes back, the barest pressure, but it’s enough.

We have time.

For the first time in forever, we have time.