Her face drew closer. Her breath ghosted warm against my skin before her lips brushed the shell of my ear.
"You won," she whispered, so softly it felt like a secret meant only for the night.
Then she pushed gently against my chest, forcing me to rise.
I stood up quickly, heart hammering, and cleared my throat, suddenly unable to meet her eyes. "Let's… see how prepared you'll be for the full moon. You don't know what test they might throw at you."
I blinked, still catching my breath. "Is this some kind of test?"
"You can call it that," Seraphina replied, her voice calm again, almost playful. "You know… we should do this again tomorrow night. Allow me to help you prepare."
"O… okay… y-yeah," I stammered, genuinely confused at her intent. My mind was still spinning from the fight, from the way her body had felt beneath mine.
I stood there in awkward silence until she spoke again.
"Walk me home," she suggested softly.
I nodded.
She held out her hand.
I stared at it, too nervous to move. My fingers twitched at my sides, but I couldn't bring myself to take it. After a moment, she simply reached forward, gently took my hand, and tucked it into the crook of her arm as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
We began walking back through the forest.
Moonlight filtered through the canopy in silver patches. For a long while I stayed quiet, hyper-aware of the warmth of her arm against mine, the faint scent of roses and night air that clung to her.
Finally, I gathered enough courage.
"Why do you care?" I asked.
She didn't stop walking.
I swallowed and added, quieter, "I mean… Why does it matter to you if they kill me or not? And why do you treat me with such kindness?"
Now she paused. She turned to face me fully and released my hand from hers. Then she stepped closer, so close I could smell the subtle fragrance of her skin, feel the cool brush of her breath.
She leaned in, lips nearly touching my ear again.
"Let's just say… I hate injustice."
With that, she vanished, melting into the shadows toward the mansion like smoke.
I stood silent for a long moment, the night air suddenly colder without her. Then, unbidden, a small smile curved at my lips.
"At least one good thing in all this chaos," I muttered gently, before turning and making my way back to my room.
*****
The next morning, it was still early when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. The screen was cracked and half-black from the day it had fallen on campus; I barely used it anymore. I squinted at the shattered display.
MARIA!
I picked it up.
"I'm in front of the gates," her cheerful voice sang through the speaker.
"Oh my God—" I shouted, bolting out of bed and racing downstairs. What was she thinking?
When I reached the front entrance, Maria was standing there, laughing and chatting animatedly with Father. My stomach dropped. This was bad. Too bad.
"Father," I said carefully as I walked toward them, forcing a smile.
"I was informed we had visitors," he replied, his tone unreadable.
I nodded stiffly and hurried to Maria, who was still talking nonstop. "Thank you for entertaining me, sir!" she called back brightly as I grabbed her arm and practically dragged her away.
I could feel Father's stare burning into our backs.
"You're not allowed to walk past a few meters," he warned. "Fifty meters from the gate. No further."
I paused, nodded quickly, and pulled Maria aside, dropping her arm once we were a safe distance.
"What do you think you're doing, Maria?" I hissed. "Why did you come here?"
"I thought it'd be cool to finally meet your vampire father," she joked, looking around with wide eyes like she was on a movie set. "And besides, you've been off college and I tried to reach you but no way."
"That's because my phone broke, Maria!" I yelled, voice cracking with nerves. "Now go, please. Don't ever show your face here again."
"I'm not leaving," she said stubbornly.
I was getting way too nervous now. "Please, just go. I'll call you—"
"Why are you reacting this way?" She tilted her head.
"Wait!
How much did you tell Father?" I asked.
"Nothing much… Only told him I'm your best friend who knows all your secrets. I wanted to impress him," she joked.
"And did he…?"
"He asked how much I knew and I told him that's all.
Why do you react like you're not happy to see me? Besides, I find your mansion and dad so cool…"
Before she could say anything else dangerous, I grabbed both her hands tightly, stopping the flow of words.
"I promise I will call tomorrow," I said urgently. "And please tonight, make sure you stay indoors."
She frowned. "You're scaring me."
Please, I begged.
She hesitated for a while. "since you don't want me here I better leave." she said bitterly
I didn't respond to that
I just pulled her into a quick hug, then stepped back.
I patiently waited until Maria's figure completely disappeared beyond the gates, her bright jacket swallowed by the morning mist. Only then did I turn and sprint back toward the mansion, chest heaving, heart hammering so violently I could barely breathe.
Father was still standing at the entrance, motionless, his silhouette carved from shadow and authority.
"Father" My voice cracked as I dropped to my knees right there on the cold stone steps. "Just let me explain everything. Please."
"That friend of yours," he said, his voice terrifyingly calm, "you do realize she is a danger, do you not?"
The quiet menace in his tone sent ice sliding down my spine. I kept my eyes fixed on the ground, shoulders trembling.
"Father, she found out by accident. This isn't her fault."
"Of course it's not her fault," he cut in, finally stepping forward. His hand shot out, fingers closing around the front of my dress as he dragged me upright with brutal force.
I dangled for a second before my feet touched the ground again. He stared straight into my eyes, fury burning in his crimson gaze. I dared not look back.
"This is your fault," he roared, the sudden volume making me flinch.
He yanked me forward so hard my teeth rattled, pulling me into the mansion like a rag doll.
My bare feet scraped against the marble as I stumbled to keep up.
"Just hurt me, Father spare her!" The words tumbled out in pure desperation, tears already stinging my eyes. "I swear I never told her anything important. She just… found out without meaning to. But she's not a threat, I promise—"
He didn't let me finish.
His fist slammed into my cheek with crushing force. Pain exploded across my face. The metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth as I staggered sideways, a thin trail spilling from the corner of my lips onto the pristine floor.
The noise must have shaken the entire mansion awake. Footsteps thundered down the grand staircase. Layla appeared first, followed by several servants and then Seraphina.
"What did little miss trouble do this time?" Layla mocked, a cruel smirk twisting her lips.
Father didn't respond. He advanced on me again, eyes blazing with barely contained rage.
"Oh my God, honey—what are you doing?" Seraphina's voice cut through the hall as she rushed down the stairs toward me, her velvet robe flowing behind her. She placed herself between us, hands raised. "Are you trying to kill your own daughter?"
Father paused, chest rising and falling heavily. He turned his head slowly toward her.
"Stay out of this," he whispered, the warning low and lethal.
"No, I won't stay out of this," Seraphina shot back, voice steady despite the danger. "I am your fiancée and soon to be part of this family. My opinion should matter, shouldn't it?"
Father ignored her completely. His gaze returned to me, heavy with disgust.
"Ivy keeps making mistakes," he snarled, loud enough for the whole household to hear, "and because of her we risk exposure to humans."
"Please, calm down, honey," Seraphina said softly, gently tugging at his arm, guiding him away from me. "She's an adult now. You can't keep hitting her like a child."
To my shock, he allowed her to lead him upstairs, his broad shoulders still rigid with anger. The moment they disappeared from view, the hallway fell into heavy silence broken only by my ragged breathing.
I stayed on the ground, tears mixing with the blood on my cheek, body shaking from adrenaline and humiliation.
Layla sauntered over, crouching beside me with fake sweetness.
"So, blabbermouth," she sneered, "who did you tell this time?"
I ignored her, pushing myself up on trembling legs and bolting for the stairs. But she followed, quick and vicious.
"Are you deaf?" she hissed, grabbing a fistful of my hair from behind and yanking hard.
White-hot pain shot through my scalp. Something inside me snapped.
"Don't you ever touch me again!" I roared, flipping around with raw fury.