Sebastian took a long, measured breath, feeling the night's chill cut through his coat as he finished his final patrol round. The forested perimeter beyond the clan's borders lay quiet and shadowed, but the silence did little to ease his mind. Every new convert brought fresh risk, and tonight's checks had revealed nothing to change his sense of unease. The rogue movement within his people was spreading, whispering of revolution. He could sense the insidious discontent curling through the air like smoke, tightening around him with each step.
He felt it before he saw her—the prickle of an all-too-familiar presence. When Elias, his personal guard , approached, Sebastian needed no further explanation.
"Sir, a visitor," Elias said, his gaze flickering in that telltale way that warned of the guest's identity. "She's waiting in your study."
Sebastian nodded, resigned, and made his way back. The study lay cloaked in dim lamplight, shadows pooling in the corners, stretching up the high shelves crammed with volumes of clan history, artefacts, and relics of power. It was both a sanctuary and a war room, and tonight, it felt like a trap.
Maze was already inside, poised beside the fire like an avenging spectre. Her figure was cast in amber light, the rich, polished lines of the room contrasting with her severe black dress and violet-streaked hair, which fell over her shoulders like dark ink. She smiled as he entered, a small, mocking smile that promised she'd come prepared for battle.
"Sebby," she drawled, her voice rolling through the room like a serpent. "Barely a week, and you already look like you've missed me. Aren't you going to welcome me back?"
He stepped forward, but there was no warmth in his expression. "Have you no shame, showing up here spitting on people's honour?"
Maze's smile widened as she moved toward him, each step slow, deliberate, as if savouring his discomfort. "You didn't seem to mind my rebellious ways once upon a time," she countered, her voice honeyed with sarcasm. "Then again, back then you weren't exactly the obedient soldier yourself."
His eyes hardened, but he said nothing, holding her gaze with steady resolve.
"Oh, Sebby," she sighed, glancing around as if the room held some long-forgotten memory. "I know why you're slipping, why things are spiralling out of your control."
He crossed his arms, steeling himself. "If you have something to say, get to the point."
Her gaze lingered on him, savouring the tension. "A human death," she said, watching him closely. "That poor teacher, Maria Cooper. One of your rogue converts killed her. Your little faction's handiwork, if you will."
His expression remained impassive, but a chill flickered in his eyes. "I don't need reminders of my duties—or of yours. If you have something more useful than taunts, speak plainly."
Maze let out a low laugh, a sound that filled the silence, drifting like smoke toward the rafters. "I'm here to offer a hand, Sebby. Consider it charity work." She let that sit a beat, savoring it. "When I see a liability, I eliminate it — and this one's getting cocky. Call it... giving back to the community."
Her words sharpened in the quiet, cutting through the air like a blade. Sebastian felt the weight of them, but he held his composure, watching her as if assessing a threat from a distance.
"Charity." He said it flat, like the word itself insulted him. "You've never done anything you didn't enjoy, Maze. Old habits die hard." His voice was tight. "So which is it — are you here to help, or just to watch from the sidelines and hope it all crumbles?"
Maze's eyes gleamed with a mix of mirth and malice, the firelight dancing across her face. "Watching, maybe. But hoping?" She moved closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Oh, Sebby, that's far too passive for me. I know things about you. Things you keep hidden even from yourself."
He clenched his fists, his jaw tense. "If you think you can manipulate me with idle memories, you're wasting your time."
"Oh, not idle memories." She let the words hang, her gaze steady and knowing. "Do you remember, Sebby? How you felt about Lily?" Her voice softened, laced with venomous sweetness. "I'm the only one who knows the lengths you went to push her away. The woman you loved — a human, of all things." Her smirk grew, relishing his discomfort. "All for this illusion of order."
He forced his face into a cold mask, but her words struck deep. Memories clawed their way to the surface—of Lily's laughter, her defiant spirit, the bitter cost of severing their bond. He'd sacrificed her, hidden her memory away like a forbidden relic. And Maze, ever the viper, had always known.
"Whatever you think you know, it has no bearing here," he said, though his voice wavered, a crack in the armour.
"Oh, but it does." She let the words drip slowly, tasting the effect. "The mighty Sebastian, forever haunted by his humanity." She stepped back, arms crossed, as though admiring her handiwork."All to protect a fragile peace that would devour him if it knew the truth."
His eyes narrowed, anger mingling with the helpless ache her words stirred. "If you're finished playing games, then state your purpose."
Maze tilted her head, a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes. "Of course. I know exactly where he's hiding — the one who did it." Her voice dropped, her gaze piercing. "But the question, Sebastian, is whether you're brave enough to face what's slipping through your fingers... or whether you'll crumble."
He watched her, a storm brewing in his eyes, searching for any hint of truth or deception. "Then give me the location and spare me the theatrics."
Her smile sharpened. "Where's the fun in that? If you want answers, Sebby, you'll have to come and find them. Consider it a hunt." She let the words simmer, savouring his frustration. "Unless, of course, you'd rather stay here."
He felt the jab, but his resolve held firm. He knew she wanted him to follow, to let her lead him into the depths of a dangerous game. And yet, the threat was too real, too immediate to ignore. Maria Cooper's death was a warning—one he couldn't afford to dismiss.
"Lead the way," he said, his voice low, laden with intent.
Maze's smirk grew into a grin, triumph flashing in her gaze. "I thought you might say that." She tapped a finger against her lips, drawing it out just to watch him wait for it. "Now. Was that so hard?" A slow smile. "Daggers Port. That's where you'll find him." She swept toward the door, glancing back only briefly. "Don't expect company past this point, though. This one isn't mine to finish."
His jaw tightened. "You're not coming."
"Sebby." She said it like the answer should have been obvious. "My hands stay clean tonight. Whatever you find there is yours to deal with — not mine to be seen doing." Her smile curved wider. "You know, it's almost poetic. All you sacrificed for the clan, and here you are, chasing ghosts into the dark on my word alone. Just like old times."
Her words sank deep, echoing in his mind like a warning shouted after him — this could be a trap. But there was no going back now. The rebellion was rising, and for now, Maze was the only one holding anything close to useful information, even if some part of him suspected this wouldn't be the end of it. He would have to follow, to trust her word, and confront the rogue himself. Duty demanded it. But the path ahead felt perilously narrow, a walk through shadows lined with ghosts of his past.
As he stepped out into the cool night air alone, Sebastian couldn't shake the feeling... Maze's words lingered in his mind, her taunts gnawing at his resolve as he made his way into the darkness.
The night deepened around him, the cold biting into his skin, as if the darkness itself were waiting, watching. And somewhere in the shadows, he knew, lurked the rogue, the rebellion, and the truth he had fought so long to forget.