Elowen's POV
The text message from Sable said: Come NOW. Emergency. Don't tell anyone.
My hands shook as I read it for the tenth time on the bus. Sable never texted like that. We'd been best friends since freshman year, sharing everything from midnight pizza to terrible exam scores. She was the sunshine to my storm cloud, always laughing, always bright. This message felt wrong.
The bus dropped me at the edge of a private road that stretched into dense forest. No houses. No streetlights. Just trees and darkness and a iron gate with a "V" symbol that looked like it belonged in a vampire movie.
I almost turned back.
But Sable needed me.
I squeezed through the gap in the gate and started walking. My phone buzzed.
You're here! Finally! Just walk up the driveway. You'll see the house. Can't wait to see you!
I stared at the message. This one sounded like normal Sable—excited, bubbly. Nothing like the first message. My stomach twisted with confusion.
The driveway curved through the trees for what felt like miles. My backpack grew heavier with each step. Then I saw it.
The Vane estate wasn't a house. It was a castle made of stone and glass that rose from the forest like something from a fairy tale. Warm light glowed from dozens of windows. My tiny apartment back home could fit in the garage.
"What the hell?" I whispered.
Sable never mentioned being rich rich. She wore normal clothes, ate cafeteria food, complained about being broke like the rest of us. This didn't make sense.
The front door flew open before I could knock.
"ELLIE!" Sable launched herself at me, nearly knocking me over with a hug. She looked the same—honey-blonde hair in a messy bun, gray eyes sparkling, wearing her favorite college sweatshirt. "You made it! I was so worried you'd chicken out!"
"Your first message scared me," I said, pulling back to look at her. "Are you okay? What's the emergency?"
Sable's smile faltered. "What message?"
I pulled out my phone to show her. The first message was gone. Deleted. Only her second cheerful message remained.
Ice crawled down my spine.
"That's weird," Sable said, but she didn't look concerned. She grabbed my hand. "Probably a glitch. Come on! Let me show you around!"
She dragged me through rooms that belonged in magazines—a living room with a fireplace big enough to stand in, a kitchen with marble counters, a library with books reaching the ceiling. Every room felt too perfect, like a museum instead of a home.
"So... you're rich?" I finally asked.
Sable laughed. "My family has money, yeah. I didn't tell you because people get weird about it." She squeezed my hand. "You're not being weird, right?"
"Just surprised." I tried to smile, but something felt off. The house was too quiet. Too empty. "Where is everyone?"
"Dad's away on business. Mom died when I was little. It's just me and my annoying older brother." Sable rolled her eyes. "Speaking of which—stay away from Cassian. He's the worst."
"Worst how?"
"He's a player. Brings home different girls constantly. Breaks hearts like it's a hobby." Sable's voice turned sharp with anger. "He thinks he's God's gift to women because he's hot and rich. Just... trust me. Avoid him."
The way she said it made me curious instead of warned. What kind of guy made his own sister that angry?
Sable set me up in a guest room bigger than my entire apartment. Fluffy bed, private bathroom, a balcony overlooking the forest. It should have felt like paradise.
Instead, I felt watched.
I tried to sleep, but my mind wouldn't shut off. The deleted message. The empty mansion. Sable's weird energy—cheerful but strained, like she was forcing herself to be happy.
At midnight, I gave up and decided to find the kitchen for water.
The hallway was dark except for small lights along the floor. I crept forward, trying to remember the way Sable had shown me. Left at the painting. Right at the stairs. Or was it straight?
I turned a corner and froze.
Two people stood at the end of the hallway, pressed against the wall. A woman with long blonde hair giggled as a shirtless man kissed her neck. His back was to me—broad shoulders, dark hair, muscles that looked carved from stone.
I should have looked away. Should have gone back to my room.
But then he turned his head.
Our eyes locked.
He was the most beautiful person I'd ever seen. Sharp jawline. High cheekbones. Eyes that glowed in the darkness—not gray like Sable's, but gold. Literally gold, like coins catching light.
Impossible.
He smiled at me. Slow and dangerous and knowing.
"Enjoying the show, little human?" His voice was deep and rough, vibrating through my chest even from twenty feet away.
My face burned. "I—I was just—"
The blonde woman turned, annoyed. "Who's that?"
But the man—Cassian, it had to be Cassian—never looked away from me. His golden eyes pinned me in place. Made my heart race. Made something wild and frightening wake up inside my chest.
Run, my brain screamed.
I ran.
My feet pounded against the floor as I raced back to my room. I slammed the door and locked it, gasping for air. My whole body shook.
What was wrong with me? He was exactly the kind of guy I hated—arrogant, player, probably thought every girl wanted him. And his eyes... eyes didn't glow gold. That was impossible. I imagined it. The darkness playing tricks.
I climbed into bed and pulled the covers over my head.
Sleep didn't come.
Because I could still feel his eyes on me. Could still hear his voice calling me "little human" like it was a private joke I didn't understand.
And underneath my disgust, underneath my fear, was something worse.
I wanted him to look at me like that again.
I was still awake at dawn when my phone buzzed with a new message.
Unknown number.
You shouldn't have come here, Elowen. Now it's too late to leave.
My blood turned to ice.
Before I could process it, my door handle started to turn.
Someone was trying to get into my room.