Everyone took their seats. The mood was heavy the laughter gone, replaced with quiet, unspoken fear.
Barnaby looked around and sighed. “This feels like… last meal vibes.”
Mary shot him a look, but her voice was soft. “Nonsense. This is not your last meal, silly boy.”
But her reassurance didn’t stick. Everyone felt it, it was that quiet sense that something was coming, that this peace was temporary.
Corey cleared his throat, glancing around the table. “Eat. Rest after. We’ll take turns watching. Mandy, I’ll need you at full strength tomorrow. You’ll be the one sealing the house while we’re outside.”
Mandy nodded firmly. “If they reach halfway through the forest and we are still asleep, I’ll wake. They’ve stopped to rest now; I can feel it. Their energy is still.”
A silence settled again. Forks scraped gently against plates. The fire crackled. Somewhere in the distance, the vines hissed softly, they were alive and waiting.
Chapter 16
The candles burned low, casting amber light across the room.
Byron and Lucy lay side by side, the chaos of the day finally giving way to a fragile kind of stillness. His face was close to hers, his breath warm against her cheek.
“How are we going to get through this” Lucy whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.
Byron slid an arm around her waist, pulling her closer until she could feel the steady beat of his heart. “I don’t know,” he said quietly. “But I do know this, you’re strong, I’m strong, and Davina, Sam, Corey… us five together, that’s a combination they can’t prepare for.”
Lucy chuckled softly, her lips brushing his chest. “You’re right. We’re a force. I mean, if we can handle ten at a time each, that’s...”
Before she could finish, Byron tilted her chin and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was firm, grounding, filled with unspoken promise.
When he pulled back, his voice dropped low. “If you weren’t so weak tonight…” He smiled faintly. “I’d make sure you remembered this moment for a very long time.”
Lucy smiled, tracing a finger down his jaw. “I think I’ll remember it anyway.”
He kissed her forehead, then settled back against the pillow. “Sleep now,” he murmured. “You need it.”
And for once, she didn’t argue. She tucked herself against his chest, the rise and fall of his breathing lulling her into the edge of dreams.
“They’re coming!”
Mandy’s scream tore through the house, shattering the fragile silence of dawn.
Every door burst open. The manor seemed to come alive as feet hit the floor and voices called out in panic. Mandy stood at the centre of the hallway, her eye blazing violet, her entire body trembling from the force of what she sensed.
“They have something,” she gasped. “Something big. It’s pushing them forward fast. They’ve broken through the second ward. We need to get ready.Now!”
Within seconds, the entire household was in motion.
Corey’s voice bellowed from the staircase, barking orders. Byron was already pulling on his gear, strapping weapons across his back. Ethan and the remaining Doves were spreading through the hall, calling out positions.
Lucy tried to shake off the haze of sleep, the rush of adrenaline hitting her all at once. Davina appeared beside her, her reflective suit already on, the fabric rippling faintly under the lights.
“Lucy.” Her tone was quiet. She pulled Lucy toward the corner, out of sight from the others. “Listen to me.”
Lucy’s brow furrowed. “What is it?”
“Corey won’t let me fight the way I need to,” Davina said. “He wants me close to the house. But my power works best when I’m in the thick of it.” Her black-gloved hand rested briefly on Lucy’sarm. “You can tell him once I’ve gone, but this is what I must do. Trust me, I’ll be safe. And the second I’m not, I’ll come back.”
Lucy’s jaw tightened. “There’s no stopping you, is there?”
Davina smiled faintly and shook her head. “Not a chance.”
