LOGINI stepped forward, taking the ring off and holding it up for photographs. The mark of the Goddess' Benevolence on my hand. And I looked at Neil, who looked hesitant. His eyes seemed so young and gentle then. He took off his own illusion and revealed the mark on his hand. The gasp that filled the hal
The day of the gala, my stomach was a mess of excitement and nerves. Neil, Dominic, and I had spent days alone in my condo. And while we still hadn't gotten past. Feeling each other up over clothing, I was pretty satisfied. They seemed happy as well. Arielle, grandpa, and I arrived together in one o
“Depressing things later. Food now. How about steaks?"That earned a startled laugh out of Dominic."Steaks… sound great."Neil moved like a man on a mission in my kitchen. Within minutes, the apartment smelled like toasted bread, cooking meat, potatoes, and something herby that I couldn’t quite nam
Andrew's voice was hoarse, wet, and pathetic as he looked at Arielle like she was some kind of angel.“You—you saved me from that monster,” he blubbered, his words slurring from pain. “I owe you—”Arielle struck him hard enough that teeth flew. Then, she grabbed him by his hair. She crouched just en
Somewhere below, I could still feel Dominic.And I knew I wasn’t going to let either of us die here.But I still didn't know how to swim and the water was so cold.The current pulled and tugged. I thrashed, until I could feel something beneath my feet.I breached the surface. Dark clouds gathered fa
ReneeThe salt and rot of the docks hit me before I even saw the water. The rogues shoved me forward, rough hands biting into my arms, until we broke through the last stretch of shadows.That’s when I saw him.The man standing on the edge of the dock, next to a small motorboat rocking gently against
But I didn’t reach for my bag.I pulled the stack toward me, logged on and started searching for documentation that could tell me how this was supposed to be organized.A shadow moved past the glass wall to my right, and my eyes followed it instinctively.It was Vivian. She strolled by with that inf
ReneeI couldn’t focus.The professor’s voice blurred into the low hum of background noise, like a distant engine revving somewhere just out of sight, out of reach. What time was it? How much longer did I have to be in class? I had no fucking idea, but the migraine that had been building all day was
ReneeI was lucky that HR could squeeze me in to fill out paperwork that day, so when I came in later in the week for my first day, everything would be ready for me. I gave my notice to my clerk job, and celebrated my little victory with champagne and the most tender steak I had ever had, cooked to
ReneeI made it to the coffee shop before I crumpled.Not literally—I didn’t drop or burst into tears. But something inside me gave out the moment I got in line and the scent of espresso wrapped around me like a blanket. The scent of it was strong enough to block out everything else. My hands were s







