TABOO (A DEAL WITH THE SHADOW ALPHA)
I carried it to my dining table like it might explode, my fingers trembling as I lifted the lid.
Inside, nestled in tissue paper as black as midnight, were flowers. But not just any flowers. They were the most dramatic, dangerous-looking flowers I had ever seen. Deep, blood-red roses, so dark they were almost black, mixed with strange, elegant black lilies that looked like they’d been grown in moonlight. There was no sweet, gentle scent. It was something richer, spicier. It smelled like power.
There was a simple, thick card nestled among the stems. No handwritten note. Just crisp, typed words.