The door creaks open, and a woman strides in with an air of authority, dressed in dark, elegant clothes. Her makeup is carefully applied, though it can't quite hide the lines of age and weariness etched into her face.
She surveys the room with a sharp gaze, her eyes narrowing as she takes in Draven's tear-streaked face and my trembling form.
"What is going on here, Draven?" she demands, her voice calm but carrying the weight of command. She pauses at the threshold, arms crossed, a mix of curiosity and irritation in her eyes.
Draven stumbles back from me, wiping his face roughly, as if ashamed to be caught in such a state. "Vespera... I was just... sorting this out," he mutters, clearly flustered.
Vespera's eyes flicker toward me, taking in my tear-streaked face, the way I clutch my bag as if it's the only thing keeping me grounded. For a moment, her expression softens. "Look at her, Draven," she says with a sigh. "What on earth did you do to this poor girl?"
"She... she's—" Draven stammers, struggling to find the words. But Vespera is already stepping toward me, her voice dropping to a gentler tone.
"Easy now, love," she says, crouching down so that she's eye level with me. She put down the long cigar in her fingers. There's no hint of suspicion in her gaze, only a tired sort of pity. "You're safe here. No one's going to hurt you."
I don't respond. I am not steady enough to face this woman.
Draven opens his mouth to protest, but Vespera cuts him off with a sharp glance. "Enough, Draven. She's had enough of your nonsense for one night."
Turning back to me, Vespera offers a small, weary smile. "We're not all monsters here, you know. Come with me—we'll find you a quiet place to rest. You've been through enough."
I nod shakily, letting her help me to my feet. Her touch is surprisingly gentle, her hands warm despite the chill of the room. "Th-thank you," I stutter, playing the part of a scared, broken girl. My stomach twists at her foreign warmth.
Jay steps forward, grabbing my bag with a reassuring nod. "Come along," he says, his voice softer now. "We'll get you settled."
Vespera watches me for a moment longer, her eyes filled with something that almost looks like regret. "No one deserves to be treated like this," she mutters under her breath, perhaps more to herself than to anyone else.
I let myself be led out of the room, my heart still pounding in my chest. As the door closes behind us, I steal a glance back. Vespera is standing over Draven, her voice low and scolding, but all I catch are snippets.
"She's just a girl, Draven. You should be ashamed."
The last thing I see is Draven's slumped shoulders as he nods, looking every bit the chastised child. The door clicks shut, and Jay guides me down the dimly lit hallway.
"You're safe," he whispers. "They won't let anyone touch you."
Safe? I almost laugh, but I bite my tongue. The act has worked, but I can't afford to relax now. Not until I'm far, far away from this place or bound to this place by blood and bones.
As we climb the stairs to the upper floors, the exhaustion finally hits me. Jay opens the door to a small, tidy room, setting my bag on the bed. "Rest," he says gently. "We'll talk more later, I'll bring you something warm to eat,"
I nod, waiting for him to leave before bolting to the bathroom. The moment the door shuts, I fall to my knees and retch into the sink. The taste of bile is bitter, but it's better than the taste of lies that linger on my tongue.
I clutch the edges of the washbasin, staring at my reflection in the cracked mirror. The disguise is slipping, powder smudged, eyes bloodshot. I'm trembling, my nerves worn thin.
It worked. Gods. It actually worked. Draven believed me but not the Vespera Ravenwood.
But now that I'm alone, the adrenaline drains out of me, leaving only exhaustion. My stomach churns, bile rising. I heave into the sink again, but nothing comes up this time. Just dry, wracking sobs that I stifle with the back of my hand.
Get it together, Mel. Oh! Rosentine.
The knock on the door startles me, sending a jolt of panic through my tired limbs. I straighten, wiping my face hastily with the sleeve of my coat. "Y-yes?" I call out, trying to steady my voice.
The door creaks open, and Vespera steps inside, a tray balanced in her hands. Her expression is unreadable, a mix of detached curiosity and something that almost resembles concern. She closes the door behind her with a soft thud, the sound final, like the sealing of a tomb.
"I brought you something to eat," she says, her voice calm. She sets the tray on the rickety table beside the narrow bed. There's a steaming bowl of stew, a hunk of bread, and a small glass of the same blue nectar I drank downstairs.
"Wash your face and come,"
I nod and do as she says. We're not all monsters here. She said.
Water dripping from my face when I come out and she extends an old towel yet it smells like cherries. I wipe my face with it inhaling the perfume.
"You've had quite a night."
I nod, keeping my eyes downcast, the picture of a broken, timid girl. "Thank you," I whisper. The smell of the food makes my stomach twist, but I force myself to reach for the bowl. I need to keep up appearances.
Vespera watches me with those sharp eyes of hers, not missing a single movement. She sits on the bed next to me, her black-colored nails glinting by the candle lights along with her eyes. For a moment, the only sound is the clink of the spoon against the bowl as I force down a few bites.
"I'm Vespera, you can call me Aunt Ves like everyone. Mel, isn't it?" She asks tugging my untamed hair that keeps blocking my mouth behind my ear. Her nails trail my skin softly.
What if they dig into my skull? I nod at her question.
"You seemed quite... desperate back there, Mel girl," she says. There's an edge to her voice now "I apologize but I eavesdropped on how you ended up in the depths of Solisra, And I am very sorry about that,"
Oh my god! Get to the cursed point, you woman.
I swallow hard, keeping my face carefully blank. This is the real test. The mission might have succeeded so far, but Vespera is no fool.
"I ran," I say softly, letting my voice crack just a little. "I thought I could escape... but everywhere I go, it's just... more of the same." I lower my eyes to the bowl, making my hands shake as I grip the spoon.
"You've worked hard, my love" She pats my head, and every time her nails sweep my hair softly, I cringe inside. "But the time..." She says. "Time is such a weird thing,"
I look up directly at her eyes, letting fear show in my eyes. I slow down the swallowing. Her hand trails down my hair to my neck as she touches Rhys's locket chain.
"A terrible attack happened and a lot of died. A terrible blow, that was," Vespera murmurs, her eyes briefly flicking upward, as if she could see the stars through the grime-covered ceiling. "Then imperial knight squads rampaged this place. Not a good time for any soul," She sighs talking to me.
Her finger wraps around the chain. My pulse quickens as her fingers brush the chain. My mouth is drying up. "I... I saw guards,"
"I'm just being careful like you, love," She says. Vespera's lips curve into a thin smile. "Once I had a daughter like you and unlike you, she didn't make it back. Highspire did their job very well. So I won't let anything happen to my remaining family."
"... I don't understand," I say looking at her face that doesn't show her age.
"I'm just saying. But I'm choosing to trust you, Mel. But trust, like time, is a fickle thing." She chuckles and I do not.
"One more thing, Mel," she murmurs, her lips curving into that thin, almost motherly smile.
"Cross me, and I'll see to it you never leave these walls. But you're not that foolish, are you?"
She leans in, pressing a cold kiss to my forehead. "Rest well, love. Tomorrow, we'll see just what you're made of."