Page 30 of Veil of Dust

My chest tightens with understanding.

This isn’t an accident.

She didn’t just happen to be out there.

She didn’t come to talk.

She came to be seen.

She came to make sure I know someone’s always watching—no matter how high up I am, no matter how locked the door is.

Alfeo sends threats you can see coming.

Bianca just shows up. Waits.

She learns.

She decides later.

I glance across the room.

The incense is still burning. Smoke drifts in a thin ribbon, slowly curling near the window. The candles on the shelf have melted into uneven rivers. Wax trails toward the edge of the wood.

This space used to feel safe, something above it all.

Now, it feels exposed.

Not because of the glass.

Because of what I know she’s thinking while she stands out there.

I back away from the window. I don’t shut it completely, just move slowly. Quietly.

Let her believe I didn’t see her.

I crouch low, reach for the window sash, and ease it shut with the tips of my fingers. The latch clicks, and the sound of the rain dulls. Her shape blurs behind the wet glass and rising fog, but she’s still out there.

She doesn’t have to break in to cause damage.

She just has to stay long enough to make me question what’s mine.

I let out a slow breath and return to the table.

The tarot deck is still where I left it.

The Queen of Swords is facedown now.

I don’t remember turning it over. Maybe I bumped it. Maybe not. Either way, the meaning doesn’t change.

She doesn’t have to look at me to remind me what she is.

I sit again.

The candle nearest me flickers. It stays lit, but the flame leans heavily to one side before regaining its shape.

I reach under my shirt and grip Leon’s locket.

The metal is cold against my skin. It shocks me enough to make my breath catch.

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