GILDEONGhulik’s snores grated in his ear, loud and guttural. He had no idea how the goblin had managed to get himself drunk. Meanwhile, Arah sat in silence beside him, staring out the open window. Gildeon kept his mouth shut, giving her space—at least until she sobered up. She had never drunk this much before, and it was a miracle she hadn’t accidentally conjured a tornado right in the middle of the bar.The truth was, he didn’t really know what else she was capable of. Sigilmaker sylphs were a rare presence in Shamibar, and all he had were the assumptions he’d made from observing Arah so far.He stole glances at her now and then, the night breeze whipping at her flushed face and tangling her messy curls. Even in this state, she looked mesmerizing. The hem of her dress had hitched up her creamy thigh, and the thought of her riding him right there in the car filled his mind. It took all his willpower not to pull over and fuck her senseless.To tamp down the heat rising within him, he
GILDEONHer words hit him square in the chest. Part of him wanted to tell her he had never meant to hurt her—that he still cared, even if he’d failed to show it.But the confession lodged in his throat, choked by all the things left unsaid.Another tear rolled down her cheek, and something inside him stirred. Without thinking, he bridged the gap between them, his hand reaching out to brush the tear away with his thumb. His gaze bore into her blue eyes, still simmering with resentment yet tinged with hope. They reminded him of that sylph girl from long ago, the same fire in their eyes.And he had made them both cry.Gildeon parted his lips, ready to let Arah in—not completely, but just enough to lift the weight pressing down on him.But then his rational side yanked him back hard. ‘Remember what's at stake,’ the voice in his head snapped. ‘You're not here to fucking play the role of a real husband.’“You’re tired. Get some sleep,” he said, his tone distant as his hand dropped from her
GILDEONOne hand grabbed her hip, while the other shoved her dress up, baring the smooth expanse of her thighs.“What are you…” Arah stammered, her eyes widening in shock. A deep red spread across her face.With a rough pull, he yanked her underwear down, the fabric ripping in his hands before it fell to the floor, making her gasp. The scent of her arousal hit him like a potent drug.His breath hovered over the soft blue curls above her pussy—so fucking perfect—and his fingers traced her center, finding the slick wetness already there, waiting for him.He glanced up to gauge Arah’s reaction once more, but she quickly averted her eyes, as if ashamed of just how much he had turned her on despite her protests.His mouth followed where his fingers led, his tongue swiping forcefully along the center of her folds, tasting her, savoring the slick heat. She trembled, bracing her elbows on the bar top. A loud moan escaped her as his tongue circled her clit, the pressure intensifying with each
ARAHShe woke up soaked in sweat and tears, her skull pounding as if it might split open. Was this just a hangover? What about the deep, lingering ache in her chest?The dream she’d just had was too intense—her sobbing, shaking, screaming at Gildeon in fury. Maybe it was just her subconscious replaying her grievance from last night. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her dreamed rage stemmed from something else, something she couldn’t quite remember.The last thing she could recall from that dream was her saying, “I will end you, one day!”She let out a dry laugh. Her subconscious must’ve gone too far with that, even considering how she currently felt.Her head throbbed again, and she winced as she rolled off the bed and walked out of her room. The house was quiet, except for Barky, who stirred at her footsteps and padded over to her. Heading to the kitchen, the memory of last night froze her: her daring to challenge Gildeon, him reminding her of her place in his life—a wife,
ARAHShe had no clients booked for the morning, so she took the opportunity to tidy up her studio. With earphones in, she let an audiobook play on her phone—a story about a human girl falling for an alien amidst a war between their species. The premise had sounded silly to her at first, but it quickly became a welcome escape from the unhappy thoughts and memories she was desperate to avoid.The tale drew her in, sparking her curiosity about how beings from two entirely different species could find a way to fall for each other. To mate, even.‘That would be interesting,’ she thought.As she organized her desk drawers, her gaze landed on her logbook, and the morning’s incident flashed in her mind. Instinctively, she pulled it out and flipped to the page where she’d recorded the names of all the clients she’d given the Clover Wish to.The narrator’s voice became muffled in the background as she read over Plumber Paul’s and Jessie’s information. They both had the same tattoo. They both di
ARAHShe watched as he sat up and pulled out his notebook.“I’ve spoken to Miss Jessie Greene’s friends. They mentioned she stopped by here a few weeks ago for a…” He flipped through his notes, scratching his temple. “Clover Wish tattoo. Is that correct, Mrs. Ayadi?”“Yes,” she replied.“And that’s the same tattoo Paul Hernandez had, correct?”She nodded, hesitating. As if sensing the question forming in her mind, he added, “The coroner’s office showed me the photos right before his body was stolen.”Her mouth fell open. Given the long delay for Plumber Paul’s supposed public funeral, she'd already suspected the rumor was true. But hearing it confirmed by a law enforcer made it all the more real. The image of that beastly hand in the video flickered in her mind, raising her suspicions once again. But her focus snapped back to Agent Durante as the rustling of papers grew loud from his direction.“So did Elise McKinney,
ARAHThe next morning, she wasted no time. After ensuring Gildeon was at school, she drove straight to La Calma. With each mile closer to the cabin, her heartbeat quickened, drumming louder in her chest. Agent Durante’s suspicions might just be grasping at straws, but a gnawing thought lingered: what if he truly knew more about her husband than she did?That thought terrified her. What if she uncovered something... worse? Could she face that?She had once abandoned her search for the truths and secrets surrounding her husband. But this time was different. It wasn’t just her marriage or their hidden past on the line—innocent lives were at stake. Her clients’ lives. She couldn’t turn a blind eye now.When she arrived, she circled the cabin, listening intently for any sound inside, making sure even Roselia wasn’t there. Her next move was swift and calculated. With steady hands, she picked the lock on the cabin door, finding it easier than breaking into Gildeon’s study.Inside, she search
ARAHShe stepped back quickly. “Please… don’t come any closer,” she muttered, her breath quick and anxious.Gildeon paused mid-step, but his serious expression didn’t waver.This moment took her back to the day she’d woken up after the accident, her mind a blank slate. Gildeon had been the first face she saw. She’d been terrified of him—those reptilian eyes, that stern expression, that imposing posture that made her feel so small and powerless.It felt just like that now, as if she were back in that day, knowing nothing—not a single thing—about the man who claimed to be her husband.Her hand trembled in the air. “These people…” Her voice faltered, barely holding together. “Are you the one doing this to them?”She didn’t know why she still clung to the hope that he might be innocent. Or that if he tried to talk his way out of it—just like he usually did—some part of her might choose to believe him.But Gildeon said nothing, and her heart sank. There was no denial, not even a flicker of
ARAHRoselia hadn’t been able to remove the bullet, but she managed to stop the bleeding, prevent further damage, and numb the pain. Mabel’s friend would still need to be taken to a hospital for proper treatment. Roselia explained that if she tried to heal her using supernatural methods and alter her memory at the same time, it could cause unpredictable side effects.Mabel’s friend had fallen unconscious. They bandaged her wound and gently moved her to the couch. Cora brought over a blanket and draped it over her.“W-What are we going to do with them?” Mabel’s sister asked, staring at the three corpses lying across the living room.Arah handed her a glass of water. “I think it’s better to leave them as they are. The police will take care of it.” She figured the authorities would arrive soon, especially if they believed Sharko’s gang had already finished whatever they came here to do.Thug Number Two would be a problem. He’d definitely run back to Sharko and report what happened. Then
ARAHShe had a narrow window before any sudden movement might make one of the thugs pull the trigger out of pure reflex.Or panic.Before she even realized it was possible, her wind tattoo split into two. One lash coiled tightly around the ankle of the thug who was about to assault Mabel’s sister, dragging him down. He hit the floor face-first with a grunt, arms flailing to catch himself. The other streaked across the room and smacked the gun from the hand of the man holding Cora.Arah bolted down the stairs, snatching the fallen gun mid-run, and aimed the gun at Thug Number One. She’d never held one before and had no real idea how to use it. But she’d seen enough movies to get the general idea.Still, she hoped it wouldn’t come to that. To her, manmade weapons felt far more volatile than anything supernatural.She saw Cora grab a coat rack from the corner and swing it hard at the back of Thug Number One’s head. The man let out a stunned grunt, stumbling forward from the blow. He turn
ARAHThug Leader motioned to his men to let the girls go, but then pointed at Mabel, her sister, and the girl who’d offered Arah a cocktail earlier.“Those three, and of course, Cora—they all stay.”He turned back to Arah, sneering, probably waiting for her to object. But she stayed silent. He seemed like the egotistical maniac type. If she pushed him too far, he’d only make things worse.Arah settled for glancing at the girls as they whimpered, shuddered, and ran out of the house.“Don’t you dare snitch, or we’ll come after you,” one of the thugs growled, stepping aside and pointing his gun at each of them as they passed.Arah hated how calm they all looked. Like they weren’t worried at all that the girls might bring help. It said even more about the kind of power Sharko’s gang held over the island.“Now…” Thug Leader lifted her chin with the muzzle of his gun. “You said you’d give me a night I’d never forget?”“I need assurance they won’t be harmed,” she said carefully, nodding towa
ARAHShe stared at the lifeless body of the male stripper, sprawled out across the unfurled cardboard box. Blood seeped from the bullet wound in his back. He’d tried to run after the thug leader warned him not to.And they killed him. Just like that.To scare the hell out of them even more, the thugs had dragged his corpse back into the house—for everyone to see. It looked eerie under the strobe lights.The room was tense. The music was still playing, but one of the thugs had turned the volume down. All the girls were huddled together in the living room, clutching at each other like their lives depended on it. Some were curled up on the couch, the others slumped on the floor with their knees drawn to their chests. Everyone was shaking and crying. No one said a word.Their phones had been taken, so there was no way to call for help—unless, of course, Mabel’s call to the police had gone through.One of the thugs paced behind them, gun in one hand, a slice of strawberry cake in the other
ARAHShe leaned against the chair, staring out at the dark stretch of sea. The waves lapped softly at the shore. Their rhythm tangled with the thump of club music and the high-pitched laughter of girls still partying inside the house.It all felt far away now.After that embarrassing moment in the living room, Cora had pulled her out. She was grateful for the breather.Mate. Bride. Little Rabbit—these words looped in her head like some bad joke.Had she imagined the whole thing? Maybe there was something weird in the cocktail she drank. Or maybe it was Barky’s bite, twisting her thoughts most strangely.Why Zephyr, though? Had she personally known him before? Back in Shamibar?Arah slid her hands down her face and let out a heavy exhale. She couldn’t picture herself ever being close to someone like him. Zephyr was dangerous—she knew that much. And whatever his game was, it didn’t involve good intentions. He wanted to raise an army for goodness sake.Behind her, the back door creaked o
ARAHShe barely recognized Cora’s house. Penis-shaped balloons were scattered everywhere, and strobe lights flashed so intensely they nearly blinded her. The music was so loud it made her ears ring. Good thing Cora lived far enough from the neighbors that no one would care, even if the guests started screaming at each other in the middle of the night.There were probably over a dozen ladies here—her, Mabel, Cora, and a handful of others Arah vaguely remembered from the engagement party.Mabel was dancing near a giant pink gift box wrapped in ribbon, right in the middle of the living room. When she spotted Arah, her eyes lit up.“Arah!” Mabel shouted, turning toward the other side of the room. “Sissy Cora, she’s here!” Then she pranced over, cocktail in hand, wobbling just slightly. Her tiara was crooked, and she adjusted it before leaning in to give Arah a double-cheek kiss.“Hey, quite a party you’ve got going on,” Arah said with a smile, handing over her gift. She glanced at the pin
ARAHShe checked herself in the mirror, smoothing down the pink dress covered in little floral prints—it matched the theme for tonight. It was her first time going to a bachelorette party, and everything she knew about them came from movies.And in those movies, there were usually male strippers.She’d asked Mabel if there’d be any. Mabel had just giggled and said “no” over the phone, but in that coy way that didn’t really feel like a no.That made her a little nervous.Arah wondered how Gildeon would take it if he found out she went to a party where half-naked men were out there flaunting their abs and grinding to some sexy music. Would he be annoyed? Jealous? Pissed?The thought made her smile as she stepped out of her room and passed by the study. She paused at the door, resting her hand against it, picturing Gildeon inside—still in his cocoon, still asleep.The first time he’d finally let her in, she hadn’t known what to expect. The study room had felt weird. Empty, no furniture,
ARAHShe slipped the cardstock with her printed Clover Wish design out of the binder, tore it into pieces, and dropped them into the bin. Then she pulled out a few more flash sheets—ones with patterns that looked a little too much like real sigils—and tossed those out too.She couldn’t risk setting something off again and starting another coven war.A month had passed since the incident. Life on Caylao Island had returned to normal, as if nothing strange had ever happened. The townspeople had been spared that horrific memory thanks to Roselia’s bewitching fog. If it hadn’t been for that, Arah likely would’ve lost her friends too after they found out she wasn’t human.She looked up at her friends gathered in the waiting area, swapping theories about what really happened at Baccayo Prison that night.“I heard Sharko’s gang was involved,” Mabel said, swirling her straw in her milk tea. “Maybe they tried to break out some of their old members.”Tonio grimaced, mid-chew on a massive bite o
GILDEONThey brought Arah to Roselia’s farmhouse. She was still out cold, and it would likely take her a few days to recover. Roselia had set up the back room, lit herbs that filled the air with sharp smoke, and circled Arah with crystals humming with healing energy.Gildeon switched on his dragon sight. Arah’s aura flickered, blue-green, faint. But something else swam through it—streaks of deep, electric blue that came and went like a second heartbeat.Gildeon hadn’t seen that on her before, but maybe they were remnants of some buried power. Something that had awakened when her life hung by a thread—something she’d used to wipe out both Zylas and Drusden.The aftermath of that fight still gnawed at him in strange ways, but none of it mattered for now. Answers could wait. He’d talk to Arah when she woke up.Gildeon pulled the blanket over her shoulders, then glanced at Ghulik, who was curled on a cushion near the bed, snoring like an old man, his belly swollen.Before leaving the Bacc