The guard's declaration hung in the air for a beat before the door was flung wide open. In stormed a woman with striking blue hair, its wild, untamed strands looking like they had been in a battle against both gravity and a comb and lost.
Her brown eyes burned with intensity, darting around the room before settling on Leora, who looked far too amused for the situation.
The woman's dark, demon-like horns curved back elegantly, a sharp contrast to her disheveled hair.
Her posture radiated confidence and fury in equal measure, and her outfit a patched-up leather jacket and worn pants looked like it had seen better days. She carried an air of someone who got into fights and enjoyed every second of them.
"Leora!" the woman barked, her voice echoing through the room. "What in the name of every fiery pit in the underworld is going on here? I've been trying to get in touch with you for *weeks*! And this is how I'm greeted? By some guard telling me to wait outside like a common beggar?"
Leora smirked, resting her chin in her hand. "Well, hello to you too, Lise. Always a pleasure to see my favorite ex-bodyguard throwing a tantrum."
Lise narrowed her eyes. "Don't you start with me. I swear if I have to wrestle another imp to get a straight answer—"
"Now, now," Leora interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. "You're exaggerating. Only two imps, at most."
Ciara leaned over to me, whispering, "Who the hell is this chaotic whirlwind, and why do I feel like I'm about to regret knowing her?"
Before I could answer, Leora clapped her hands together. "Ah, where are my manners? Aeliana, Ciara, this charming disaster is Lise. She used to work as my bodyguard back in the day—best in the business, mind you. Now she takes on special missions for me."
"Special missions?" Ciara raised an eyebrow. "What kind of missions? Stealing combs?"
Lise's head whipped toward Ciara, her brown eyes narrowing dangerously. "Who are you calling out for bad hair? At least mine doesn't look like a toddler hacked it off with a kitchen knife."
I choked on a laugh as Ciara straightened, affronted. "I'll have you know," Ciara snapped, "this cut is intentional. It's *styled*."
Lise waved her hand dismissively. "Sure it is, mini-Leora. Styled by what, a passing gust of wind?"
Leora burst into laughter, slapping the table as Ciara sputtered indignantly. "Oh, this is priceless," Leora said between laughs. "Lise, you're already making yourself at home."
Ciara shot Leora a glare. "Are you just going to let her insult me?"
"Oh, absolutely," Leora replied without missing a beat. "This is far too entertaining to stop."
I hid my smile behind my hand, watching as Ciara and Lise continued to squabble. The two of them were like fire and gasoline, sparking off each other in a way that was both hilarious and mildly alarming.
"So," I interjected, trying to steer the conversation into calmer waters, "Lise, what brings you here? It sounds like it's something important."
Lise groaned, running a hand through her already messy hair.
"I've been dealing with a band of rogue demons causing havoc on the outskirts. It's a nightmare. Do you know how hard it is to track demons who think they're too clever for their own good? And to top it off, I get here and find out Leora's been playing house with this—" she gestured vaguely toward Ciara and me—"domestic drama. I thought you had better priorities, Leora."
Leora shrugged nonchalantly. "What can I say? Life's more fun when it's chaotic. Besides," she added with a sly grin, "Ciara's engaged now. Isn't that adorable?"
Lise blinked, momentarily stunned. "Wait, wait. Mini-Leora's getting *married*? To *her*?" She pointed at me, her expression a mixture of disbelief and confusion.
Ciara bristled. "First of all, stop calling me Mini-Leora. Second of all, yes, I'm marrying Aeliana. Is that so hard to believe?"
Lise tilted her head, scrutinizing me like she was trying to solve a particularly difficult puzzle. "No offense, but you seem... too normal for this family."
"Thank you?" I said uncertainly, unsure if that was a compliment or an insult.
"Definitely a compliment," Lise replied. "It's good to have at least one sane person around here. Goddess knows Leora and her little mini-me are enough to drive anyone mad."
"*Stop calling me that!*" Ciara yelled, her cheeks flushing red.
Leora wiped a tear from her eye, clearly enjoying every second of the chaos. "Oh, Lise, you've really outdone yourself this time. I missed having you around."
Lise rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the small smile tugging at her lips.
"Yeah, yeah. Missed you too, you maniac. Now, can we talk about the rogue demon situation, or are you too busy planning flower arrangements for the wedding?"
Leora sat up straighter, finally looking somewhat serious. "All right, all right. We'll discuss work soon. But first," she turned to Ciara, "did you bring any more of that food you refused to share earlier? I think Lise deserves a taste."
Ciara groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Why is everyone in this castle obsessed with my cooking?"
"Because it's good," I said with a grin, nudging her playfully. "You can't blame them for wanting a taste."
Lise raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you cook? Mini-Leora cooks? This just keeps getting weirder."
"I swear if you call me Mini-Leora one more time—"
"Enough!" Leora interrupted, laughing as she stood up. "Let's get some dessert. And Lise, you can fill me in on the rogue demons while we eat. Ciara, try not to kill anyone before lunch is over."
"Can't make any promises," Ciara muttered, glaring at Lise, who simply smirked back at her.
As we all headed toward the dining room, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of warmth.
The table was laden with plates of dessert—decadent chocolate tarts, flaky pastries filled with fruit, and a light, airy mousse that Leora had whipped up in what felt like seconds. The sweetness of the spread was only matched by the lively energy at the table. Lise seemed far less angry now that food was in front of her, though her presence still carried a brashness that kept everyone on their toes.
"So," Ciara said as she leaned back in her chair, her gaze fixed on Lise, "how exactly did you and Leora meet? Because, honestly, I can't picture you two getting along long enough for any kind of working relationship."
Leora chuckled, her red hair gleaming under the warm light of the chandelier. "Oh, it's a story, all right. Go on, Lise, tell them."
Lise smirked, grabbing a tart from the plate in front of her. "You really want to know? Fine. But don't complain when you realize how insane it sounds." She leaned back, taking a bite of the tart and pausing dramatically before beginning.
"It was about 130 years ago. Back then, I was working for Zephara's parents—strict folks, real sticklers for rules. I was just one of the guards, doing my job, making sure no one got past me, and generally trying not to lose my mind from boredom. Back then, food tasted like dirt—literally. Everything was overcooked or under-seasoned. I'm pretty sure my taste buds gave up on life entirely at one point."
Leora nodded sagely. "A dark era, indeed."
"Anyway," Lise continued, "I heard from the others that there was this weird, lost human wandering around the castle. Nobody wanted to deal with her because she had Zephara's scent all over her. And let's be real, back then, people avoided anything that might anger Zephara. So, naturally, being the genius that I am, I decided to investigate. That's when I saw her."
Her brown eyes flicked to Leora, a grin tugging at her lips. "She looked harmless at first. Well, except for the part where she was shaking my little sister by the shoulders like a lunatic."
" I was not." Leora said.
Lise shrugged. "You didn't exactly look trustworthy. "
Ciara snorted, clearly enjoying this. "So what did you do?"
Lise smirked. "What any sensible guard would do—I shot her with an arrow."
"You what?" I gasped, nearly choking on my mousse.
"Oh, don't worry," Leora said, waving her hand dismissively. "She missed. Well, mostly. It grazed my shoulder."
Lise crossed her arms. "I didn't miss. You just dodged like some kind of freak. Still, it nicked you, and I was ready to go for round two when you yelled out something completely ridiculous."
Leora grinned. "I told her to spare my life because I could cook."
"Exactly," Lise said, shaking her head. "It sounded like a joke. Nobody could cook back then—not in a way that didn't taste like shoe leather. But I figured, why not? If she was lying, I could always finish her off."
Ciara burst out laughing. "You let her live because she promised you food? That's ridiculous."
"It wasn't just food," Lise said, her voice growing more animated.
"It was magic. She whipped up something on the spot some kind of stew with actual flavor. I'll never forget the first bite. It was so good I almost cried. I was ready to pledge my undying loyalty right there and then."
Leora smirked. "And you did. Well, sort of."
"Not so fast," Lise said, pointing a finger at her. "That's when Zephara showed up. She saw your injury and immediately tried to murder me. I swear, she would've ripped me in half if you hadn't jumped in the way and said you wanted me to be your bodyguard."
"Wait," I interjected, still trying to process all of this. "You spared her life, made her your bodyguard, and that was it? Just like that?"
"Pretty much," Leora said, popping a piece of pastry into her mouth. "I liked her fire. And she was good at her job—when she wasn't shooting me."
Lise rolled her eyes. "You were lucky I didn't aim for the head."
"I can't believe you're still alive after all that," Ciara said, shaking her head.
Leora grinned. "What can I say? I'm a survivor. Besides, everything worked out in the end. I got a loyal bodyguard, and Lise got a lifetime supply of good food."
Lise leaned back, smirking. "I still think I got the better deal."
"Of course you did," Leora said with a wink. "I'm amazing."