Page 28 of Wings of Shadow
“That’s enough,” I say, my voice steadier than my emotions. “I’d appreciate it if you’d stop trying to manipulate my thoughts.” I meet his gaze squarely, pushing back against the allure of his supernatural charisma. “What brings you to Draken Manor at this hour? I wouldn’t have thought you’d willingly set foot on our grounds, let alone resort to luring me into a private meeting.”
A flicker of surprise—and is that respect?—passes over his face before his usual mask of cool amusement slides back into place. “Impressive, little witch,” he murmurs. “Not many of your age can shake off a vampire’s influence so quickly. Perhaps Juliette’s tutelage is paying off after all.”
The mention of the Grand Witch’s name sends a jolt through me. But he laughs off my reaction as he adds, “Oh, come now. Don’t look so shocked. She’s my girlfriend, after all.” He shrugs. “We have our chats.”
Of course—how could I have forgotten? Juliette is not only the reincarnated Grand Witch, but she was the love of Ivan’s life centuries ago, stolen away by a Draken ancestor. Now returned to the world, and to Ivan.
A shadow flickers across Ivan’s features, so fast I almost miss it. For a moment, I glimpse the pain and bitterness beneath his carefully designed veneer of indifference. “About my presence here… times change, little dragon,” he says, his voice low. “And with them, so must we all.”
He moves closer, his movements as fluid as water. “Besides, I’ve been... curious. You’ve been spending quite a bit of time at Deveraux Manor lately, haven’t you? Juliette’s new protégé.” A hint of jealousy seeps through the words.
“She has been kind enough to take me under her wing,” I say carefully, watching Ivan’s reaction. “She’s a wonderful teacher.”
A soft smile plays at the corners of Ivan’s mouth, a genuinely tender expression that transforms his face. “That she is,” he murmurs. “Taught by the best.” Then his eyes sharpen, focusing on me with renewed intensity. “But I wonder, what does the seer daughter of the Draken clan hope to learn from a reincarnated witch?”
Keeping secrets from her boyfriend, is she? I want to snap back, but I choose my words carefully, aware of the delicate ground we’re treading. “The magical world is changing, Ivan. The ancient boundaries between our kinds are blurring. Juliette understands that better than most.”
Ivan’s eyebrow arches elegantly. “Indeed. And your brother’s ascension to alpha has certainly... shifted the landscape, shall we say? Bram’s stubborn old guard mentality was becoming tiresome. Nikolaas, at least, seems to have a more... progressive outlook.”
I can’t hide my surprise at this. Ivan’s disdain for my brother, Bram, is well known. But to hear him speak almost approvingly of Nikolaas is unexpected, to say the least. “And you’re here to what? Extend an olive branch?”
Ivan’s laugh is sharp, almost mocking. “Let’s not get carried away,” he says, tilting back while showing palms. “But there are changes coming, Clarissa. Big changes. And those of us who have managed to survive this long do so by knowing when to hold on to old grudges and when to... recalibrate our alliances.”
His eyes narrow slightly, the depth of ages mirrored in his gaze. “Your family took something precious from me centuries ago. It’s a wound that will never fully heal.” For a moment, his mask slips, and I see a flash of raw pain that takes my breath away. “But the past is the past. What matters now is the future.”
“And what future is that?” I ask, my curiosity overcoming my caution.
Gravity settles over Ivan’s face. “One where the old boundaries between our kinds begin to blur, as you say. Where ancient enmities give way to new understandings.” He pauses, his gaze intensifying. “Your brother’s vision of unification... it’s ambitious. Dangerous, even. But it might just be what we need to ride out the coming storm.”
A chill runs down my spine. “What storm?”
“Oh, my dear girl,” Ivan says, his voice almost gentle. “Surely you must feel it. The shifting of powers, the stirring of old magic. The world is changing, Clarissa—you’ve said it yourself. And we who wish to survive must change with it.”
He begins to circle me slowly, like a shark scenting blood in the water. “Which brings me to you, and your... recent activities. Your apprenticeship with Juliette, your budding relationship with Kaisner Drachenstein... You’re positioning yourself at the center of a very delicate web, whether you realize it or not.”
My pulse quickens at the mention of Kaisner’s name, but I refuse to let it show. “I wasn’t aware my choice of mentors or dinner companions was a matter of such interest,” I say coolly.
Ivan’s laugh is without humor. “Everything is of interest in our world, especially when it involves the heirs of two sovereign dragon bloodlines.” He stops directly in front of me, close enough that I perceive the unnatural chill that emanates from his body. “Your... dalliance with young Drachenstein has not gone unnoticed.”
I turn to keep him in my sight, my muscles tensing instinctively. “It was dinner, Ivan. Nothing more.”
“Was it?” he challenges. “Because from where I stand, it looks an awful lot like the opening moves of a very dangerous game.”
“What are you implying?” I demand, my patience wearing thin.
Ivan’s expression turns serious, all traces of mockery vanishing from his face. “Clarissa, you’re playing with fire. The Drachenstein family has a long and complicated history, one that’s not always aligned with the best interests of the supernatural community at large.”
He reaches out, cold fingers brushing against my cheek in a gesture that’s both intimate and threatening. “You have a gift, my dear. A rare and precious ability that many would kill to possess or control. Don’t let yourself be blinded by a handsome face and a few pretty words.”
I jerk away from his touch, anger flaring in my chest. “You don’t know anything about Kaisner, or about me,” I snap. “And I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
Ivan’s eyes flash with something that might be admiration. “Spirit. I like that. You’ll need it in the days to come.” He steps back, his demeanor shifting once again to one of casual indifference. “Just remember, little seer, not everything is as it seems. The game is changing, the players are taking their positions, and you... you’re right in the center of it all.”
With that cryptic warning, he turns and begins to walk away, melting into the conservatory’s shadows. But before he disappears, he pauses, glancing back over his shoulder.
“Oh, and Clarissa? Do give my regards to your brother when he returns. I have a feeling we’ll all be seeing quite a lot of each other very soon.”
And then he’s gone, leaving me alone in the moonlit jungle of the greenhouse, my mind reeling from the encounter.
