Shoulder Against the Storm
In the small garden, Bianca De Dominicis pulled Julian D'Aurelius down beside her on the cold stone bench.
A shaky glow from the lamp touched the leaves above, spilling warm color into her deep red hair. Smells of night jasmine floated by, yet under that sat a weight - dread.
Frost lingered under her nails, a leftover chill from what came before.
"I think something's wrong with my grandpa," she said quietly, though her voice tried to stay steady. "He was perfectly healthy, and suddenly this happened. Do you think he was poisoned?"
Julian glanced at her.
The heiress of the De Dominicis household.
Confident. Sharp. Ruthless when needed.
But right now, she looked like a granddaughter who had just realized the world could still take something precious from her.
"I think it's possible," he replied after a beat. "But we still need to investigate carefully."
He nodded, measured and calm.
[It's not poison; it's a Bright Life Sucking Leach.]
