It had been a few days since I last had a moment to reflect, but now, with the looming dinner at Seraphine's castle, my thoughts were running rampant.
I sat in my room, the soft hum of magic from the wards surrounding the castle creating a soothing ambiance, but my mind refused to settle.
Aeliana was seated across from me, brushing her hair in front of the vanity, her presence a calming balm to my restless soul. How did I ever get so lucky? Aeliana was everything I never thought I deserved—kind, determined, and endlessly patient with my quirks and flaws.
I glanced at her and smiled softly. Despite all the chaos that surrounded our lives, she always grounded me. My life was so much richer, so much brighter, with her in it. The way she brought light into my world was something I could never take for granted.
But tonight… Tonight would test that patience of hers.
Seraphine had invited us to dinner, and though I adored my little sister, her dinners always devolved into chaos. Between her sharp wit, endless teasing, and her playful rivalry with me, it was bound to be an evening of relentless taunts and probably a scandalous game or two.
And then there was Riley. Oh, sweet Riley. Seraphine's not-so-secret childhood crush, now her girlfriend. If Seraphine's smirk when she extended the invitation was anything to go by, Riley and her sister Lydia—the Queen of Humans, no less—were going to be there. To top it off, Lydia's lover, Aurelia, the soon-to-be captain of the demon soldiers, would also be attending.
Basically, chaos incarnate.
I groaned dramatically, flopping back on the bed. "Why do I have to go to this?"
Aeliana turned, her lips quirking into a smile as she caught my exaggerated despair. "Because you love your sister, and you promised we'd go."
"She manipulated me into it," I muttered, staring at the ceiling. "She knows I can't say no when she gives me those puppy-dog eyes."
"Or maybe," Aeliana teased, coming over and sitting beside me, "you just like spending time with her."
I snorted. "Like is a strong word."
She laughed, leaning down to kiss my forehead. "You'll survive. Besides, it'll be fun. I want to meet Riley and her sister."
"You say that now," I replied, sitting up. "Wait until Seraphine ropes you into some ridiculous scheme."
Aeliana just shook her head, smiling. "Come on, let's get ready. If we're late, Seraphine will never let you live it down."
The teleportation spell left a faint shimmer in the air as we arrived at Seraphine's castle. The grand, gothic architecture loomed before us, its dark spires piercing the sky. Inside, the ambiance was a mixture of elegance and chaos typical of Seraphine.
"Ciara!" Seraphine's delighted voice rang out as she came rushing toward us, her red hair cascading behind her like a waterfall. She threw her arms around me in an overdramatic hug.
"You're late," she accused, pulling back to wag a finger at me.
"We're two minutes early," I pointed out.
"Details." She waved her hand dismissively before turning to Aeliana. "And you must be Aeliana! It's so nice to finally meet the woman who's managed to tame my impossible sister."
Aeliana smiled warmly. "It's wonderful to meet you too, Seraphine."
Before Seraphine could say anything else, Riley appeared, her green eyes crinkling with amusement. She was tall, with an athletic build and a calm demeanor that perfectly balanced Seraphine's chaotic energy.
"Are you terrorizing your sister already?" Riley asked, placing a hand on Seraphine's shoulder.
"Always," Seraphine replied, grinning.
"Riley," I said, smirking. "Still putting up with her, huh? Impressive."
Riley chuckled. "Someone has to keep her in check."
As we moved further into the dining room, Lydia and Aurelia greeted us. Lydia's regal air was unmistakable, her piercing green eyes watching everything with a quiet intensity.
Beside her, Aurelia exuded a powerful presence, her toned frame and confident smirk making it clear why she was destined to lead the demon soldiers.
Dinner was a whirlwind of chatter and laughter. The table was laden with an impressive spread of dishes, each one more decadent than the last.
"So, Riley," I began, smirking as I stabbed a piece of roast on my plate. "Did Seraphine finally confess, or did you have to do all the work?"
Riley raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed. "Oh, she confessed. Loudly. In front of half the castle staff."
Seraphine groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Riley, don't tell them that!"
"It was adorable," Riley added, smiling at her.
Aeliana giggled, nudging me. "I like her already."
Lydia joined in, her voice carrying a regal yet playful tone. "To be fair, I think Seraphine's staff had a betting pool on when she'd finally confess."
Aurelia laughed, raising her glass. "And let's not forget how she tripped over her own feet on the way to Riley."
The table erupted into laughter as Seraphine turned bright red, muttering something about disowning everyone present.
As dinner came to an end, dessert was served a decadent chocolate cake that melted in your mouth. I was about to compliment the chef when Seraphine leaned forward, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Now that we're all sufficiently fed," she began, her voice dripping with feigned innocence, "how about a game?"
I groaned, already sensing trouble. "What kind of game?"
"Strip poker," Seraphine announced with a wicked grin.
Riley facepalmed. Lydia choked on her wine. Aeliana blinked, clearly trying to process the suggestion.
And me? I just glared at my little sister. "You're insufferable."
I couldn't help but smirk at her audacity, even if I knew it was a terrible idea. Aeliana shot me a look, half-amused and half-warning.
"We are not playing strip poker," Lydia declared firmly, putting down her wine glass.
"Oh, come on," Seraphine whined, leaning against Riley dramatically. "It'll be fun!"
"For you," Aurelia muttered, crossing her arms. "I'm not stripping in front of my future queen. That's just asking for trouble."
"Cowards," Seraphine teased, then turned to me. "What about you, Ciara? Feeling brave?"
I shrugged, trying to suppress the grin tugging at my lips. "Sure, why not?"
Aeliana's eyes widened, and she leaned in to whisper, "What are you doing?"
"Relax," I whispered back, giving her a wink. "I have a plan."
We eventually caved to Seraphine's relentless badgering. Chairs were rearranged, a deck of cards appeared out of nowhere (no one questioned it), and the chaos began.
The first few hands were fairly tame. Lydia and Riley were determined not to lose and played cautiously.
Aurelia was surprisingly bad at poker, her expressions betraying her every move. Seraphine, on the other hand, was in her element smirking, teasing, and goading everyone with every play.
And me? I was cheating.
Aeliana watched from the sidelines, trying to stifle her giggles as Seraphine's pile of chips dwindled. She didn't seem to notice my little tricks, or if she did, she was smart enough not to call me out.
"Damn it!" Seraphine growled as she lost yet another hand, peeling off her gloves in frustration. "This game is rigged!"
"You're just bad at it," Riley teased, collecting her winnings.
"Am not!" Seraphine shot back. "I'm just... warming up."
Aurelia snorted. "You've been 'warming up' for three rounds now."
By the next hand, the table's tension reached new heights. Lydia was down to her jacket, Seraphine was clinging to her last few chips, and Aurelia was trying to bluff her way out of certain doom.
"What's the matter, big bad demon captain?" Seraphine teased. "Scared to lose your shirt?"
Aurelia narrowed her eyes. "I'm not scared of anything."
"That's debatable," Lydia chimed in, smirking. "Remember the time you refused to go into the haunted wing of the castle?"
"That was different!" Aurelia protested, her face reddening.
"Uh-huh," Lydia drawled, clearly enjoying herself.
Meanwhile, I continued my streak of quiet victories, my pile of chips steadily growing. Seraphine shot me a suspicious glance, her eyes narrowing.
"You're too good at this," she accused.
"Maybe you're just bad at reading people," I shot back innocently.
She huffed, tossing her cards down in defeat. "You're all ganging up on me. I know it."
"No one's ganging up on you," Riley said, trying to soothe her.
"Except the cards," Aurelia added helpfully.
Seraphine threw a napkin at her.
It all came to a head when Seraphine decided she'd had enough of losing. With a dramatic flourish, she slammed her remaining chips onto the table.
"All in!" she declared, her grin wicked.
Lydia raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"
"Absolutely," Seraphine said, clearly trying to exude confidence.
I glanced at my hand—an unbeatable royal flush, thanks to a carefully placed magical nudge. The odds of Seraphine winning were nonexistent.
As the final cards were revealed, Seraphine's face fell.
"No!" she wailed. "This can't be happening!"
"Oh, it's happening," Aurelia said smugly, reaching for the pot.
But Seraphine wasn't done. In a last-ditch effort to save face, she lunged across the table, scattering cards and chips everywhere. Riley barely managed to catch her before she toppled over.
"Let me go!" Seraphine demanded, flailing. "This is an injustice!"
"Stop being dramatic," Riley said, pulling her back into her seat.
"You married into this chaos," Lydia told Riley with a smirk.
"And I have no regrets," Riley replied, giving Seraphine a fond smile.
By the time the game ended, Seraphine was sulking, Lydia was smug, and Aurelia was loudly proclaiming her superiority despite having lost half her clothes.
Aeliana was practically in tears from laughing, while I maintained my innocent facade.
"You're banned from poker," Seraphine declared, pointing at me.
"Why?" I asked, feigning offense.
"Because you're a cheater!"
"Prove it," I challenged, leaning back with a satisfied grin.
Seraphine opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by a low growl from the doorway.
"What is going on here?"
We all froze as Leora appeared, her arms crossed and an unimpressed expression on her face.
"Oh, uh, hi, Grandma," I said, trying to sound casual.
She surveyed the disheveled table, the scattered chips, and the half-dressed players before narrowing her eyes.
"I leave you unsupervised for one evening," she said, her voice dripping with disappointment. "One evening!"
Aeliana bit her lip, trying not to laugh as Leora's gaze landed on me.
"Ciara," she said slowly, "explain yourself."
I swallowed nervously. "Uh... It was Seraphine's idea?"
"Traitor!" Seraphine hissed.
Leora sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Clean this up. Now."
As she turned to leave, she muttered, "I can't believe this family sometimes."
Once she was gone, the room erupted into laughter. Even Seraphine couldn't stay mad for long.
"Well," she said, wiping away tears of laughter. "That was worth it."