34. Step One

Bastien

I pull up to Niko’s sprawling estate, the sun dipping below the horizon, casting long shadows across the grounds. As I step out of the car, my boots crunch on the gravel, and I take a deep breath, bracing myself for the night ahead.

There’s work to be done, plans to be made, and a sense of urgency that has settled deep in my bones.

I enter the house, the familiar scent of aged wood and history greeting me. There’s an undercurrent of tension in the air, a silent acknowledgment of the stakes at play. I make my way through the hallways, my steps measured, my senses alert.

As soon as I get outside to the back garden, I see Niko’s wife sitting with a few other women I’m guessing are the Gamma brides. I’m actually quite taken aback at how content they all look, given that they’re all here because of arranged marriages.

I walk out to greet them and see the surprise on their faces as they see me. Their eyes flit from me to behind me and when I turn around, I see my brother.

“I was w