Page 71 of A Touch of Darkness

Lucian’s posture stiffens slightly, a rare crack in his usual calm. He gives Dorian a sharp nod but then looks at me, his expression softening just enough for me to catch it. I can feel him trying to gauge my mood, but I can’t focus on it right now.

He steps closer to me, and I stand. “Will you be alright, Sylvie?” Lucian asks, his voice a whisper, laced with concern.

“I’ll be fine,” I say quickly, my voice steadier than I feel. “Go.”

He hesitates for just a heartbeat leaning down and cupping the back of my head. His lips brush against the top of my head in a tender kiss. The soft press of his lips sends warmth flooding through me, and I almost don’t want to let him go.

But he pulls back, and his gaze lingers for a moment longer before he says, “I’ll be in the study if you need me.” He turns to Dorian, nods, and they leave together, the tension between them congealing as they move out of sight.

I take a deep breath, the sudden quiet feeling too sharp in the wake of his departure.

Rebecca and Nicole have already been ushered into the front sitting room, and I go to meet them, noticing the delicate floral arrangement in Rebecca’s hands. It’s a contrast to the heaviness that fills the house. I smile at her and take the bouquet as I thank her. After sitting down next to Rebecca, I realize how much I’ve missed them. I’ve been in contact with the girls since Lucian and I got out of the chamber, but I haven’t been able to actually see them. They insisted on coming to me today, so I couldn’t give them another excuse as to why it isn’t safe for me to be out and about.

We sit, the silence hanging between us until Rebecca speaks, her voice soft and comforting.

“So…how are you holding up?” she asks, her expression concerned. “We want to check in. Make sure you’re…”

“Okay,” Nicole finishes, leaning forward in her seat. “We want to make sure you’re okay,” she fully reiterates. Her eyes meet mine, full of empathy but also something else, a deeper understanding. She knows I’m not really fine.

“I’m... not great,” I admit, my voice trembling. “But I’m getting there. I’ll get there.”

Rebecca takes a deep breath, a subtle glance exchanged between the girls. “We weren’t sure if you heard,” she starts slowly, “about Isabel.”

The name hits me like a punch. A fresh wave of dread surges in my chest, and I force myself to focus. “Isabel?” I echo, my voice barely above a whisper. “No. It’s like I’ve been under a rock since the escape. What about her, did they send her to you guys?”

“She’s dead,” Rebecca says, and I instinctively cover my mouth with my hand.

A chill runs down my spine, my hands tightening on the delicate flowers I’m still holding. “Oh my God,” I say. “I forgot all about this, but when I was down in that chamber, Amara alludedto the fact that she knew Isabel gave me information…she must have…” I can’t even finish my thought. Something pulls at my heart. I obviously never cared for Isabel, for the way she barged into my life and tried to lie me into coming to their cult. Still, I think she wanted to do the right thing. She would’ve left Solstice if she could. I could almost feel a silent plea from her that day in the cafeteria. She wanted out.

Rebecca and Nicole exchange a glance, both of them looking at me with more concern than they’ve ever shown.

“We weren’t sure how you’d take the news. But if we didn’t know before, we clearly now know that they really mean business,” Nicole says. A hush falls over our small group but then Nicole adds, “They found her hanging in the courtyard. They’ve ruled it a suicide, but I think we all know Solstice was behind it.”

What a tragic way for her to die. My heart pangs in my chest, and I shake my head in disbelief. I’m not sure why, though. I know Solstice is capable of that—and so much more.

“Do you and Lucian have any plans on how to move forward? It’s not like you can just stay holed up here forever,” Rebecca says, her tone light but laced with the worry she’s trying to mask.

I hesitate. There’s so much I can’t tell them—so much they don’t know about the plan Lucian and I have, about the part of myself I’ve only just begun to understand. About the bond between us.

“We’re going to get Lara back,” I say, keeping it simple. I can’t say too much. “Lucian and I... we do have a plan. I don’t know what will happen after that, but we’ll get her back. I’m sure of it.” The words help springboard my confidence, even if I don’t always feel so sure.

The weight of my words hangs in the air, and for a moment, all is quiet. The girls stare at me, their expressions unreadable.

“You seem different,” Rebecca says, her voice low but full of something. “More confident. More... sure of yourself.”

“I feel different,” I admit, my voice catching. “I feel like I know what I have to do now. And it’s... it’s all connected.”

Nicole tilts her head, studying me. “So, when do you plan on coming back to school?” she asks, her voice careful, as if she’s already expecting the answer. “I just wish everything could go back to normal…whatever that is.”

“I’m not sure,” I reply, the uncertainty clear in my voice. “Maybe after everything is over. But even then... I don’t know if I’ll ever be safe. If Lara will be safe. The Society will still want something from us. They’ll just have to find a new way to get it.”

There’s an unspoken agreement between us that the world outside is dangerous, and we’re all trapped in it, whether we like it or not.

“I’m glad you’re taking control of this,” Rebecca says with a small smile. “I knew you would, but hearing you say it... makes it feel real. Like we have a shot.”

I nod slowly, but my heart races, the weight of everything still pressing on me. I glance toward the hallway, where I know Lucian is somewhere with Dorian, the urgency in their voices still echoing in my mind. I hope everything is okay. I hope Lucian isn’t being dragged into something else he shouldn’t have to deal with. My problems are more than enough.

From the very beginning, Lucian has always wanted to help, even when I wanted nothing to do with him. I’m sure now, that it was the old version of me somehow coming to light. Seraphina. Her feelings toward Lucian. That’s why I felt so cold to him in the beginning. But as I’ve gotten to know him, as I’ve realized how beautiful and kind he is—despite supposedly being some deadly creature that I thought I knew from books, but clearly didn’t understand—I’ve just grown to appreciate him in an entirely different way.

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