I turned away from her, my jaw tight. There was too much at stake to let myself falter now. Altair, my father… it was all closing in on me. And Vivian... Vivian was a complication, a distraction I couldn’t afford.
I pulled an empty backpack from my closet and tossed it on the bed.
“How are you feeling?” she asked as she got out of bed. Her gaze swept over me, searching for signs of pain or weakness.
“I’ll live,” I said, my tone dismissive. I didn’t want to dwell on the previous night.
She blinked, still processing, but she didn’t ask any further questions. She hesitated over her choices, and I could feel the flicker of curiosity and wariness through the bond.
I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to Eldora.
Raffaele:Taking a break from the estate. Heading to NYC. Back tonight, maybe tomorrow.
Eldora:Do I need to know what you’re planning?
Raffaele:No.
She didn’t reply, but I could practically hear her sigh through the screen.
Vivian zipped up the backpack and turned to me, eyebrows raised in question. I grabbed the bag and slung it over my shoulder. “Let’s go.”
She followed me out of the room, her steps quiet but purposeful. As we crossed the estate grounds, the tension in her emotions shifted—curiosity edged with apprehension. It wasn’t until we were on the path to the forest that she finally spoke.
“Should I be worried?” she asked, her tone light but edged with unease.
“Not in the slightest. We’re going to the human world.”
Her expression changed instantly. The wariness morphed into excitement that caught me off guard. Her eyes brightened, her posture relaxed, and I could feel the shift in her through the bond. She was lighter, almost happy.
Instinctively, I reached for her hand, needing to tether myself to her, to ground us both. She frowned down at my hand, and for a moment, I thought she might refuse. But then she took my hand, and my heart steadied.
I didn’t look at her, couldn’t risk what I might see in her expression. Instead, I gently pulled her along, leading her down the winding path through the forest. The shadows grew thicker, the energy heavier with the magic that cloaked this part of my land. She stayed close, and her trust in me spilled through the bond.
The tear in the Veil shimmered, a jagged ripple in the fabric of reality. To most, it would look like nothing more than a strange distortion, a trick of the light. But to those of us who knew, it was a doorway, a passage between worlds.
I paused before it and glanced at Vivian. “This might feel… disorienting. Like stepping into ice water. But it only lasts a moment.”
“This isn’t the first time I’ve stepped through a Veil tear.”
Without another word, I stepped forward, pulling her with me. The Veil’s magic washed over us. The sensation was as familiar as it was unsettling—my stomach dropped as cold swept over me, and for a brief, heart-stopping moment, it felt like the world was collapsing in on itself. Then, as quickly as it began, the cold receded, and I drew in a sharp breath of stale, human-world air.
We emerged in the shadowy expanse of a parking garage. The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead, their harsh glow casting long, jagged shadows across the concrete floor. The sterile, mundane setting was a far cry from the magic of my estate.
Vivian let out a shaky breath and glanced around. “Where are we?”
“New York City. This is one of the entrances I use to travel between worlds.”
She looked at me then, her expression a mixture of awe and suspicion. “You have a secret tear in a parking garage? That’s… unexpected.”
I almost smiled as I pulled a key fob out of my pocket. “Come on,” I said, pressing the button to unlock a sleek, black sports car. The lights flashed, and the car chirped softly in response.
Her lips parted in surprise. “Is this yours?”
“No, I stole it,” I deadpanned, earning an exasperated glare from her. “Of course it’s mine. Get in.”
“Of course you’d drive something like this.”
I opened the passenger door for her, more out of habit than chivalry. She slid in without a word, her fingers trailing over the leather seats as if testing their authenticity. Once I was behindthe wheel, I started the car, the low growl of the engine vibrating through the enclosed space.
