Selene Ardent — Paying Attention
The note appeared folded once, placed neatly atop her papers.
Selene didn't need to open it to know who it was from.
The handwriting alone gave him away—looping, deliberate, too confident to be careless. Julian Cael never wasted effort pretending to be subtle.
She unfolded it anyway.
Across the room, Kieran watched her reaction rather than the words. His gaze lingered, sharp but unreadable, as though he were bracing for something neither of them had named.
"You don't have to go," he said after a moment. His voice stayed even, careful. "Whatever this is—it isn't worth reopening."
Selene folded the paper once. Precisely. Calmly.
"That's exactly why I should," she replied.
The place Julian chose overlooked the river—glass walls, muted lighting, elegance designed to make negotiations feel civil. The kind of place where deals hid behind polite smiles.
He was already there when she arrived, posture relaxed, hands resting loosely as if control were something he carried without effort.
He looked up. Smiled.
"Amara," he greeted warmly. "You look well."
She didn't return the smile.
Julian studied her openly, interest sharpening rather than dimming. "I wanted to understand you," he said. "You've been… unpredictable."
"Good," Selene replied. "Then you won't make the same mistake twice."
Something flickered in his gaze—not fear, but curiosity. Dangerous curiosity.
"You were always gentle," he mused. "I wonder when that changed."
Selene leaned forward, voice quiet but steady."I was gentle with people who earned it."
Silence stretched between them.
Julian laughed softly, but his fingers tightened around his glass. A warning without words.
Selene stood.
"I'm not wearing power," she said calmly. "I'm using it."
She turned away before he could respond.
She did not look back.
Kieran waited outside.
He didn't ask what was said. Didn't demand explanation. His eyes searched her face instead, lingering as though he were seeing something new.
"You're not afraid anymore," he said quietly.
Selene met his gaze. For a moment—just a moment—she nearly told him why.
Instead, she said, "I know who I am."
For the first time, Kieran believed her completely.
Amara Solis — Strength Without Harm
The test arrived without force.
No confrontation. No threat.
Just whispers.
A rival faction entered Selene's domain with careful words and polite faces. Through trusted channels, doubt crept in—slow, deliberate, meant to fracture loyalty without ever announcing itself.
Amara heard everything.
When she entered the room, conversation stopped.
Silence thickened, stretching longer than comfort allowed. People waited—expecting the woman they remembered. Cold. Unyielding. Punitive.
She did not give them that version.
Amara stood calmly.
"Fear spreads faster than truth," she said. "So let's remove the confusion."
She named the lie. Traced its origin. Exposed the motive behind it—not with anger, but with clarity.
No raised voice. No threats.
"If anyone here doubts their place," she continued evenly, "you are free to leave. There will be no consequences."
Stillness settled like dust after impact.
No one moved.
Later, Darius caught up with her in the corridor.
"You could have crushed them," he said. "They expected it."
"I don't want loyalty built on fear," Amara replied. "I want it built on choice."
He stopped walking.
For a long moment, he only looked at her—measuring something he hadn't anticipated.
"You're changing the rules," he said quietly.
Amara met his gaze, strength steady beneath her composure.Not softer. Just different.
Darius lifted a hand, then paused—instinct halting him before the gesture could form.
Some truths, they both knew, could fracture if reached for too quickly.