chapter Seven

Lyra's POV

I woke up to soft sheets, not the cold floor of the forest grounds, this was warm, cushioned and the air smelt faintly of herbs and tea.

My fingers curled instinctively into the sheets registering blankets.

Safety....

I bolted up immediately, the room spun briefly, white light ringing in my ears, but I forced myself to focus, gradually getting back my sight and froze.

Maria Blake was sitting beside the bed I was on, calm as ever and her green robes draped loosely around her. But she wasn’t alone.

A man stood near the foot of the bed.

Tall, broad-shouldered, brown-skinned and long dark hair falling freely down his back. He was shirtless, arms folded across a chest crisscrossed with faint scars, his posture alert but still. Like a statue carved to guard something sacred.

I scrambled backwards, pressing my back against the headboard, heart pounding as I stared at them warily.

Maria lifted both hands immediately,

“Lyra wait— you're safe”

Safe was not the word I would have used.

My eyes never left the man, “You.... ” my throat felt dry, “That... Thing in the forest”

“He didn't mean to hurt you... “ Maria said quickly, “... The wolf attacked because he thought the forest was under threat”

I let out a sharp laugh, hysteria threading through it. “It was under threat? I was thrown into a tree”

The man then moved, slowly and deliberately. He stepped forward and before I could react, dropped down to one knee beside the bed, head bowed, one fist pressed to the floor.

“I offer my deepest apology....“ he said, voice low and formal, “... I am Richard Lancaster. Guardian Wolf of this forest, I misjudged your presence and acted in error and blindness”

I stared at the kneeling man, at Maria and back at the man again.

“You… don’t have to—” I said awkwardly.

“—Please get up”

He hesitated for some seconds, then rose smoothly to his feet, eyes lowered in respect. The gesture unsettled me more than the attack had.

Maria sighed softly, “Richard is bound to protect the forest and those under its covenant. Witches, specifically. When your spell ruptured the wards, he reacted”

“I almost died” I muttered.

“Yes.... ” Maria agreed calmly, “... Which is why we intervened”

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to steady my thoughts first and not think too much of anything, “Where am I?”

“My shop...“ Maria replied, “You were unconscious when we brought you back”

That explained the shelves lining the walls, jars of dried herbs, candles, bones carved with runes, mirrors that felt… watched.

Maria’s expression shifted then, gentler, but heavier.

“Lyra...“she said, “Your spell failed because you’re attempting magic far beyond your current foundation”

I stiffened. “I’ve been trained”

“Controlled....” she corrected, “... Not educated”

I stiffened slightly remembering my mother.

She leaned forward. “Blood magic is not instinctual. It is structured and dangerous. Without understanding the laws governing it, backlash is inevitable. You were lucky it merely exploded”

“Lucky” I echoed hollowly.

“There’s more…..” she continued, “....Your blood—”

I felt it before she finished, a tightening in my chest.

“It carries the scent of ancients.... ” Maria said quietly, “.... Old magic. Bloodlines that no longer exist openly.”

My pulse thundered in my ears.

“That makes you vulnerable.... ” she went on. “.... Especially here”

“Because of… wolves?” I asked.

“And vampires... ” she added calmly.

The word settled like ice and Maria straightened. “... Transylvania is not ruled by one supernatural species. Witches, wolves, vampires, we coexist. Uneasily, power draws attention and your blood draws interest”

“So what... ” I asked slowly, “... you’re saying I should leave?”

“Yes”

The word was firm, Final.

“For your own safety...“ Maria said, “... Until you understand what you are, and... and how to protect yourself, you cannot stay”

I nodded numbly, in a daze.

After Maria left me to rest again, the walls felt too close, almost suffocating, I needed air, space and time to think.

I got down from the bed immediately and stepped outside the shop, the cool evening brushing against my skin as I stared at the orange sun, my thoughts racing.

My mother, my blood, the danger I hadn’t even known I was standing in. Do I ... Suddenly leave? Go back where, I was finally getting to know something about myself, I couldn't just back out now, right?

I took two steps forward and collided with someone solid.

“Sorry....“ I started automatically then I looked up.

Ebony hair. Dark eyes. That unsettling, composed presence.

My breath caught.

Caspian Noir.

He stared down at me, expression unreadable, like he’d been expecting this moment all along.

“Well... ” he said smoothly, lips curving faintly. “... It seems fate has a fondness for collisions”

My heart slammed violently against my ribs.

Of all the people in Transylvania...

It had to be him.

Again.

I stared at him, my mind scrambling to catch up with everything going on. The air felt heavier with his presence alone, charged in a way that made my skin prickle.

“You...“I said, my voice coming out quieter than I actually intended, “... From the plane”

He smiled, “I was wondering how long it would take you to recognize me”

“What are you doing here?” The question shot out before I could stop it.

“Walking...“ he replied smoothly, “...Thinking, and apparently.... Running into you again”

I frowned, “That’s not an answer”

“Most truths aren’t” he said mildly.

Something about the way he looked at me made my stomach twist. Like I was a puzzle he’d already begun solving.

“You disappeared...” I said, “.....At the airport”

“Did I?....“ his gaze didn’t waver, “... Or did you simply stop looking?”

I didn’t like how that sounded.

I folded my arms, suddenly aware of how exposed I felt standing there, “Do you always speak in riddles, or is that just something you do to confuse strangers?”

A soft chuckle escaped his lip, “Only the interesting ones”

Before I could respond, footsteps sounded behind me.

“Lyra?....” Maria’s voice called, edged with concern, “….You shouldn’t be wandering off—”

She stopped short. The moment her eyes landed on Caspian, her entire body went rigid, the color drained from her face.

The air shifted.

“You,” she whispered.

Caspian turned slowly, his expression smoothing into something polite, dangerously so. “Maria Blake....” he said with an air of familiarity that surprised me, “... Still tending to lost witches, I see”

My breath caught, “You know each other?”

Maria stepped forward instinctively, placing herself slightly in front of me. Her voice was tight, sharp with alarm.

“Vampire” she said.

The word hit like a crack of thunder and I sucked in a breath, my pulse roaring in my ears. Vampire? Could this day not get any overwhelming.

Caspian’s eyes flicked to me, not apologetic or surprised, just… observant.

“So....” he murmured, “...That’s how you choose to introduce me?”

I turned to Maria, “What does he mean?”

Maria didn’t take her eyes off him. “Lyra, go inside. Now.”

“No….” I said, my voice trembling but firm. “….Not until someone explains”

Caspian tilted his head slightly, studying me with open interest, “You should listen to her.... ” he said, “... She’s very good at recognizing danger”

“Are you?” I demanded, “A vampire?”

His lips curved faintly. “Yes”

The admission sent a cold shiver down my spine.

“And you’re here because?” Maria pressed.

Caspian’s gaze returned to me, slow and deliberate, “Because she fascinates me”

My stomach dropped.

Maria’s hand tightened around her staff. “Stay away from her”

Caspian’s smile vanished.

“That....” he said quietly, “….will not be happening”

I stood there, caught between a witch who I didn't know well enough and a vampire who looked at me like he’d already decided I was his.

And somehow… I knew this wasn’t a coincidence.