Bet—Chapter Four coming in
The Shadow with Red Eyes
The courtyard was silent again, but the calm felt wrong—too heavy, too sharp, like the air itself was holding a warning. I stayed close to Lucien, my hand brushing against his sleeve, the warmth of him grounding me even as my mind spun.
"You said there's more of your kind," I whispered. "Who exactly are they?"
Lucien's jaw tightened. "Some are bound to rules. Some… are not."
Before I could ask what that meant, movement flickered at the far edge of the courtyard. Shadows stretched unnaturally, and then—he stepped forward.
Tall. Broad. Dark hair falling just past his shoulders. His eyes burned like embers—red, unyielding, almost laughing in their danger. His presence made the air thrum, heavy and tense.
I froze. Lucien stiffened.
"This is Kael," Lucien said quietly, almost reluctantly. "He… has always been drawn to you."
I didn't move. "Drawn to me?"
Kael smiled, but it wasn't friendly. It was predatory, teasing, dangerous. "You're… interesting," he said, his voice low and smooth, wrapping around me like a dark velvet ribbon. "Too interesting to ignore."
I felt a pull—something magnetic I didn't understand. My chest thumped like it wanted to break free.
Lucien stepped between us. "Stay back." His voice was calm, but his fingers flexed at his sides.
Kael's grin widened. "Ah, the protector." He looked at me, then at Lucien. "You're… sweet. But weak."
I flinched at the word. Weak? I wasn't weak. Was I? My heart raced, but my legs refused to move. Something about Kael made my skin tingle—not fear, not entirely—but anticipation I couldn't name.
Lucien's silver eyes met mine. "Don't trust him. Not now, not ever."
"I…" My voice caught.
Kael took a step closer. Shadows seemed to follow him, curling around his feet, stretching toward us like dark smoke. "Oh, I don't need your trust. I don't care if you like me. I care if you're mine."
Every word sent shivers down my spine. My pulse raced—not just from fear, but from something I couldn't explain.
Lucien's hand hovered near his chest, as if holding himself back. I caught a flicker of pain in his expression, quick and hidden, before he masked it.
"I won't let him—" Lucien began.
"You won't stop me," Kael interrupted, smiling cruelly. "I've waited too long."
Something in the air cracked—like static before a storm. The ground beneath Kael seemed to pulse, shadows writhing around him as if alive. I realized, with a jolt, that he wasn't just dangerous. He was something older, darker… almost untouchable.
I wanted to step back, but my feet stayed rooted. My heart was betraying me. I wanted to run. I wanted to hide. And yet, I couldn't look away.
Kael tilted his head, eyes glinting red in the strange light. "Soon, little human," he whispered, "you'll understand why the night always remembers you."
The courtyard shimmered violently, light and shadow twisting around us. I gripped Lucien's arm, breath shallow.
The next moment, a shadow lunged from the darkness behind Kael. Something screamed—not human, not entirely.
Lucien reacted instantly, placing himself between me and the creature, his eyes glowing faintly silver. But Kael didn't flinch.
He laughed. Dark, low, echoing across the stone. "This… will be fun."
And with that, everything shifted.
I realized, with a cold certainty, that nothing—nothing in either world—would ever be simple again.