Rina walks straight in like she owns the place, which, honestly, tracks, and without a word, plops herself onto the end of my bed. She’s careful not to jostle my ankle, which I appreciate. She gives me a cheeky smile, like she knows exactly how chaotic her entrance just was. Torin follows right behind her, moving with that same giant, quiet energy he always has. He doesn’t say anything, just plants himself beside the bed and rests a hand gently on Rina’s lower back. It’s such a small gesture, but so intimate it makes my heart ache a little. The two of them are ridiculously adorable. Disgustingly cute. I don’t know why I was ever afraid of Torin. I mean, sure, he looks like he could crush a car with one hand, and I bet that when he’s in his demon form, he’s actually terrifying. But after meeting Solem, after seeing what real, cold blooded evil looks like, Torin feels like a blanket. A big, awkward, tattooed security blanket. Solem was charm dipped in poison. Torin’s the opposite. Sure, he’s got resting death glare face and all the social grace of a brick wall, but he’s soft. In the way that actually matters. I don’t think there’s an unkind bone in his body. He shifts, like he’s nervous to be here, and then with a half smile, he awkwardly offers me a bouquet of flowers he’d been holding against his side. His massive hand looks comically delicate as he holds them out.
“Those are from both of us.” Rina chirps brightly while Eli mutters some comment about not knowing that they were supposed to bring gifts and Damien elbows him to shut him up. I reach out, accepting the flowers gratefully. They’re a wild arrangement, bold colors and a little chaotic. Absolutely perfect for me.
“Thank you. They’re beautiful.” I say honestly. Before I can do anything else, Lukas steps in smoothly and takes them from my hands.
“I’ll get them some water once everyone clears out.” He murmurs, already placing them carefully on the table beside my bed. It’s such a small thing, but something about it makes my chest flutter. I love having someone who does that, who notices the things I can’t do and just handles them without making it weird or dramatic. And that’s when it hits me again. Love. I remember the moment in that awful warehouse, my panic, the way I fought through everything I had just to keep him breathing, and I remember thinking it then. I love Lukas. Not the crush kind of love. Not the ‘he’s hot and saved me’ kind of love. The deep, quiet, terrifying kind that wraps around your ribs and won’t let go. I don’t know exactly when he crept into my heart but I’m fairly sure he’s settled in and taken permanent residence there. It feels like I was in love with him before I even realised that I liked him at all. I glance over at him, my cheeks heating. Thank goodness he’s not reading my mind right now. Because saying it to myself in my head is one thing. But saying it when he can actually hear it… With basically every person I care about in the room still hanging out? Absolutely not. One existential crisis at a time, please.
“Now THIS looks like a party. If I’d known, I would’ve brought cake.” The voice comes from the back of the room, and everyone whirls around like they’ve been collectively slapped. Rowen is standing by the door, leaned casually against the wall like she’s been there forever. No one heard her come in. Not a footstep, not a whisper. Nothing. Which is… Honestly terrifying. How did no one notice her? I don’t know what exactly Rowen is, but I’m more determined than ever to find out.
“Rowen!” I greet, managing a smile that lands somewhere between friendly and vaguely alarmed.
“Uh… It’s good to see you.” I add. And it is good to see her, technically. She did, after all, murder the demon that was trying to kill us. It’s just… She also makes everyone here nervous, especially Torin. The only person who seems comfortable around her is Rina, and I’m starting to think there isn’t much that makes Rina uncomfortable. Rowen tilts her head, amusement flickering across her face.
“Good to see you’re finally awake. I was worried, you know. Magical burnout isn’t a joke.” She shudders slightly, like she’s remembering something unpleasant. Maybe she has been through it. That’s… Interesting.
“Yeah. This is the second time it’s happened to me.” I admit.
“I really need to stop doing that.” I comment with a frown. Rowen laughs, warm and a little sharp.
“Easier said than done, right? A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.” She practically sings the words.
“Something like that.” I echo, grinning despite myself. Then her expression shifts, just slightly. Business mode. She straightens.
“I DO need to talk to you, though.” She says, her tone suddenly more serious.
“Might be a good time for your guests to, I don’t know… Stretch their legs? Bathroom break? Snack run? Not that I’d recommend the cafeteria food. Probably cursed.” She comments idly. There’s a beat of silence. Then, as one, everyone in the room turns to look at me. I hesitate. Just for a moment. Then I nod. One by one, everyone files out. Rina pats my shoulder. Julian ruffles my hair gently. Wren pauses like he might argue, but Richard herds him out with a quiet word. Laura lingers until Lukas meets her gaze and gives a reassuring nod. And then… It’s just the three of us. Me, Lukas, and Rowen. Rowen raises an eyebrow at Lukas. He crosses his arms over his chest and plants his feet like he’s daring her to make him leave. He doesn’t say a word. But I can practically feel the weight of his refusal. Rowen considers him for a second, then sighs.
“Maybe it’s best that he stays anyway.” She mutters, more to herself than anyone else.
Rowen doesn’t start with questions, not right away. She just looks at me for a long moment, her gaze calm and steady, like she’s measuring something.
“Tell me what you remember.” She finally asks. I blink at her.
“Um… Okay.” I agree. I take a deep breath and begin to speak, running through everything I can recall. It’s scattered in places, patchy and blurry, like a movie I watched while half asleep, but I do my best. I talk about the warehouse, the ritual, Wren, the chains, the blood. I talk about Solem, about him grabbing Lukas, about the panic, the desperation. I glance at Lukas often, and he fills in the blanks gently when I falter, just a word here, a reminder there. Calm and steady, like always. When I finally finish, Rowen is watching me with a strange expression. Her arms are folded, her brows drawn just slightly.
“What?” I say, confused.
“Did I miss something?” I ask.
“Well…” She starts slowly.
“Everything you’ve told me lines up. The setting, the sequence, the way you burned yourself out… All of that makes sense. Except…” She trails off, glancing toward Lukas. He lets out a soft sigh. Oh no. I turn to face him fully. His expression is tense, careful.
“Lukas?” I ask, my voice edging into wariness.
“What is it? What aren’t you telling me?” I ask anxiously. He reaches out and takes my hand, wrapping his fingers around mine.
“It’s about how Solem died.” He says quietly. There’s a pause. A beat. I can hear my own heartbeat start to pick up.
“You… You assumed that Rowen arrived in time and killed him.” He continues.
“Yeah?” I nod slowly.
“Isn’t that what happened?” I ask, I’m barely breathing at this point. Lukas shakes his head.
“No, Clare.” His voice is gentler now.
“She was too late.” He says simply. I blink.
“What do you mean?” I ask, desperate for clarification, my heart sinking in my chest. Rowen steps forward, arms still crossed, but her tone softens.
“It means, that by the time I got there… Solem was already dead.” She clarifies. I stare at her, unblinking. Already… Dead? But that would mean… I glance back at Lukas. He’s watching me closely, ready to catch me if I start to unravel. That would mean the person who killed Solem… Was me.