It's been a week since the Gravesend Ball, and I've been busier than ever. Interest is up, and I've received more communications than ever. Leon and I have a meeting in four days about our mutual interest in the Twilight Star.

  I'm looking forward to resolving that affair. I'd prefer to keep it, but Leon offered a hefty finder's fee, and I could really use the funds.

  Not that I've stopped looking for it in the interim; if I find the twilight star early, it can sit in my bedroom for a few days, where it belongs. I'm just not invested in it enough to fight over it, not right now.

  It's been an expensive week, and unfortunately, that's not going to change anytime soon. My reserves are running low. It took three days to cleanse myself of Rosaria's brand. I've managed to chain three activations to my shimmer and double the range. Sure, it took a lot of te nights, but sooner or ter, I'm positive that hard work is going to pay off.

  Why wouldn't this have happened during the summer? I would have free time, but the semester has barely started, and not counting the supernatural, my workload feels like it's tripled. Yay, senior year.

  I have messages to send, more research to do, and not nearly enough time. My foster parents have been weird the past few days and have been bugging me about my curfew. Thankfully, it's eleven, but still, I'm eighteen, and I don't need a curfew. Sneaking out is such a hassle, but luckily, a little sleep spell never hurt anyone.

  My office door is open; why is it open? Yes, it's basically a closet, but I'm supposed to be the only one with the key, and anything supernatural shouldn't be able to get through my shields, not without an alert going off anyway, and they seem solid.

  Unfortunately, there's really only one way to find out what's going on, and that's to walk through the door. A very familiar voice immediately says, "Hey, Captain, long time no see."

  Madison is my former teammate. She was an excellent flyer on the cheer team and passed information about me to interested third parties. She transferred out not long after I caught on, but what brings her here now? "Madison, what are you doing here?" And why are you behind my desk?

  She looks great, too, with a fresh tan, and that purse is worth a small fortune. Well beyond what Madison should be able to afford, at least without help. So she's still working for someone. There's a hint of gmour around her, but it's mild, nothing a minor surgery wouldn't do.

  "Oh, you know. I had some business at the Moonscar estate and thought I might pop in on my old captain. You need a better lock on the door, by the way; it only took me a few seconds to pick it."

  I'm not allowed to modify anything per my lease agreement, but all my defences have been focused on the supernatural, not the everyday world. I look at Madison again and notice a bulge near her waist. If she's armed, I might be in trouble. I've never worried too much about guns; when it comes to the things I deal with, a sword is more likely. I hope this oversight doesn't cost me, but Madison, for all she's changed, was my friend. She wouldn't shoot me, right?

  "It's against my lease. Which beach have you been enjoying?"

  Madison shrugs off her jacket, and she's tanned all over. The bra she's wearing as a top doesn't hide much, but I've seen this much of her and more in the locker rooms. The interesting thing is the bulge; it isn't a holster, but it is blocky, and it could still be a weapon. "All of them; I just got back from Barcelona, though. How do I look?"

  "Hot, but you always did." She's been keeping up her training, too; if anything, I think she might be in better shape now.

  "We have that in common," Madison says with a ugh. "You're hot, Dee, physically and as a commodity. Buy a girl a coffee?" And she winks, really Mads, no subtly, even now? I'm almost disappointed.

  Madison wants something—a favour, information, who knows—but it's really good to see her; we were friends for years before her betrayal. "Sure, why not? Vanil chai, or are you drinking something different these days?"

  "I've sampled all kinds of things, but so have you. How was the ball? I heard you were the centre of attention."

  The Gravesend Ball was amazing; I learned a lot, and a few things really surprised me. Morrigan already sent an invitation for a New Year's Ball. I need a proper gown, and that's a work in progress. I've already found a few designs I like. I just need to worry about materials and cost.

  "It was fun; is that why you're here?"

  "One of the reasons, sure." Madison shrugs, and it does really interesting things to her chest. "Pleasure first, our coffee and then business. Unless you have a better pn?" She sounds flirty, and that's weird. Mads always insisted she was straight, enough that we used to skip spin the bottle at sleepovers.

  What changed? Has anything?

  "I need to get into my desk, so if you wouldn't mind getting up."

  Madison makes a show of it, stretching before she stands; of course, that's when she grins at me. "I could just spread my legs if you need the room."

  There's a sharp crack from the corner as a gss explodes in on itself, timed with my annoyance. That's been happening a lot tely; ever since the ball, my emotions have been closer to the surface, and Madison jumps in surprise.

  It's a side effect of being sensitive to Aiofe's song, or at least that's what Everlyn said. We're working on it. Thankfully, so far, I've mostly managed to keep it under wraps.

  My voice is tight when I say. "Let's just go."

  When Madison says, "Deliah, are you okay, actually?" All signs of pyfulness are gone. She puts her coat back on, too. That's good. My blood pressure is high enough without my former friend and teammate, who looked like she had stepped out of a pinup calendar, making things worse.

  "No, not really, but it's totally fine. Why don't you step into the hall, and I'll join you in a minute?"

  "Yeah, umm, sure." Madison pauses beside me, raising her left hand, before she thinks better of it. She steps out and shuts the office door behind her.

  Good. I don't want Madison touching me right now. It only takes a minor wave of my right hand to repair the gss. There, one problem solved; only a dozen more to go.

  I'm not going to check my mailbox while Madison is here; the st thing I want is for her to see who's contacting me and spread the word. Everything else is untouched; the desk is still locked, and there's no sign of tampering, either.

  I pull the small antique letter box from my bottom drawer, take the envelope out of my purse, and drop it in. The envelope vanishes, and I immediately lock the letterbox back into my desk.

  Okay, I sent the letter. Now, it is for Madison. When I open the door, she's pying on her cell phone, the newest model, and immediately tosses it in her purse. Then we're walking towards the exit.

  "I'll need to come back ter, "I'd say, to see if I have a reply, but that isn't something I want Madison to know. But let's get some drinks—caffeinated ones only. Liquor sounds like a good idea, but not yet, and not with Madison. I don't trust her anymore.

  Fuck, that sucks.

  It's a nice enough day, and I don't own a car. Last time we spoke, Madison didn't have one either, but there's a very nice one parked out front of the office that definitely wasn't there when I came up; I would have noticed.

  "Do you want a drive, or should we walk?" Of course, it's Madison's. She can't do magic, but she's clearly being paid a not-so-small fortune. It's frustrating that so many things could be mine if I just gave up a little independence.

  It's getting harder not to say yes to someone.

  How much free time would I have if I weren't fighting for schorships between my academics and athletics? If I could just focus on one thing instead of splitting my time in a dozen directions?

  Rosaria hasn't shown up yet, but she's going to and soon. I just know it. Lately, I have sworn I felt her nearby a few times at night, and she isn't the only one. I don't regret going to the ball, but there were way too many people who noticed me that night.

  My admirers haven't approached me yet, but that's just a matter of time.

  "Walk; I need to burn some energy off. Nice car, by the way." It screams rich girl; everything about Madison does now. She's really come up in the world, and all it cost her was my friendship and who knows what else.

  "You can take it for a drive ter if you want."

  Tempting, I have my license, but I don't actually have access to a car normally, and the head cheerleader with the cherry red convertible is a cssic image for a reason.

  My favourite cafe isn't far from here, so when I was searching for an office, I focused on this part of town. Part of me wants to reach out to Madison, hold her hand while we walk, and point in the shop windows like we used to, but I need to keep some distance between us. She isn't safe, not anymore.

  Madison must have realised it, too, because other than her hand twitching towards mine a few times, she seems pretty happy to pad beside me.

  Coffee and Crepes is almost empty, and that makes it the perfect pce to talk; the cute baristas are just a bonus.

  "Deliah, babe, your usual?" I guess Jenna's working today; she's one of my favourites, and not just because she's hot, but because she's listened to me whine more than a few times about the team, school, and girls.

  What? I have a thing for slightly older college girls. Sue me.

  "That and an iced vanil chai. Mads is visiting."

  "Holy hell, she is. Maddy, you look incredible. I didn't recognise you at first."

  "The beaches of Europe have been good to me, but it's fantastic to see you too."

  "Go find a booth, and I'll bring your drinks over when they're ready."

  "Cool, thanks."

  There's a corner booth a decent distance away from the other patrons, and that's good. It means Madison and I can talk without overt dispys of magic, but a little bit of subtle magic is never amiss.

  As soon as we're seated on opposite sides of the booth, I trace my index finger in a circle twice, and the quiet field wraps around us with just a hint of truth. I picked up that trick from Rosaria at the ball; it's far weaker but worth it. We're not pnning to discuss anything sensitive until after our coffee, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

  Especially since one of the patrons has a hum to her; she's part of the community, and right now, I don't know which side, or any, but she's unknown, and until I know she isn't an enemy of mine, I'm going to py it safe. Whoever she is, she feels familiar, so she's probably one of my admirers. We've definitely never met before.

  "So, Europe, you always talked about going." Originally, after graduation, one of her clients helped her graduate early. It's something I've thought about, but I want to finish my senior year, go to prom, the works. I won't be able to do that if I graduate early. Besides, I doubt Madison is sleeping in any of the hostels she used to look at. "Checking things off your lst?"

  "You know it, babe. France, Spain and Italy, so far. I'm heading to Greece next; you should come."

  "I have css, and we both know I can't afford the trip or the time off. I need my schorships." Not to mention what my foster parents would say—nothing good, and that's reason enough not to go, even if it's tempting. "And I'm not looking for a patron."

  I hear footsteps coming towards us, and when I gnce over, I see that it's Jenna—good timing on our drinks. "Here you go, babes. Settle up before you go and shout if you want anything else."

  "Thanks, Jenna."

  Madison reaches out and brushes Jenna's hand. "Appreciate you." And thankfully, I don't feel any magic coming off of her. Jenna pauses for a single second before she walks back to the front, and as soon as we're alone, I run my fingers across the rim of my gss, and both my earrings vibrate. That isn't good—left checks for mundane things, sleeping pills, drugs, and that kind of stuff. While my right checks for magic, potions, spells, and enchantments.

  I really hope that I don't need to find a new cafe, that would be a total pain. Jenna might be under someone's control; it might even be Madison's, well, her patron's, or it could be the stranger I already spotted, or anyone, really.

  Coffee and Crepes is my regur haunt; it wouldn't take a genius to come here and wait for me to get someone else to try and drug me. It's just really fucking annoying.

  Worse, I'm wasting my mocha.

  I slide it off to the other side of the table, away from me; I don't want to drink from it if I get distracted.

  "Problem, Captain?"

  "Tainted, like Michaels's party st year."

  Madison twitches; she had a couple of sips before I could stop her, and that was a rough night, but thankfully, no one got hurt. Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't been there? "Check mine?"

  It only takes a second to run my fingers around the rim of her chai and, sure enough, the same result. I hate that this may be part of a pn to make me trust Madison more. I slide the drink over with mine; I really hope this is a one-off afternoon and not something I'll need to worry about in the future.

  "Same problem. Not you, I assume?"

  My eyes widen when Madison says. "Thought about it, but no. Interest in you spiked after the ball. We used to be friends, Dee. I never wanted to betray you." And that's when her hand stretches across the table and lightly grips my hand.

  "But you did, and you showed up here today, flirting with me. When we both know you're straight, so I have to ask, why are you here, Mads?" I twist my hand slightly and gently squeeze her hand. It's genuinely nice to see her.

  "A few reasons; I wanted to catch up and see you. I've missed you, Dee. I have a lot now, more than I ever dreamed of, but friends are in short supply."

  Madison's choice was to sell me out for profit, but it's hard to keep that in mind. Yes, I'm angry at her for it, but we were friends for years. We had a lot of good times together, shopping at the mall, sleepovers, makeovers, and birthdays. She was one of my closest friends, and she deserves a chance.

  "The grass isn't greener after all?"

  I'm surprised when Madison ughs. "Oh, it's definitely greener. Did you see his handbag? It's real, Prada."

  Lucky.

  "So you saw Morrigan and decided to check in on your old teammate?" I somehow have my doubts.

  "That's part of it, sure, Dee. I was kind of hoping to enjoy spending the afternoon with you. Maybe we can be friends again."

  My hand trembles a little. I've wanted a friend who knows about the supernatural for a long time, but things in my life are never that simple. "You're telling the truth, but what else is there?"

  "Distracting you mostly, my job was to get you here and away from your office." Of course, that's when the lights in the cafe flicker and turn off completely, and something clicks onto my wrist. "You should have just drunk your mocha, babe."

  My magic is gone; I can't feel it, but this is worse than the peace bond. I'm completely cut off.

  The lights flick back on, and the other patrons and, unfortunately, Jenna are standing beside our table. They're all under some kind of spell, but I can't feel it out in my current state. Whatever it is, I hope none of them remember today. If I get out of this alive and unaltered, I really want to be able to come back here.

  "You bitch." My fingers are tracing around the bracelet (it's pretty, thankfully), but I can't find a noticeable seam. Tugging on it doesn't work either. I'm feeling incredibly stupid right now. I know that I can't trust Madison, but I let myself believe I could, and now my magic is blocked off, and I don't know who Madison is working for, maybe Morrigan, maybe someone else.

  "Now, now, my darling. Such vulgarity." There's a very familiar beat on 'darling' that I'm isoted from right now, at least. There are no cracks so far, anyway, so it's just a word at the moment, thankfully. "You're being rude." Then Rosaria walks up to the table from behind the crowd.

  Wonderful.

  "Lady Rosaria, as promised, Deliah Drake."

  "Yes, Madison, you did very well. You may go, in fact, all of you, scatter. Server, remove the gsses and destroy the contents."

  Jenna's eyes are gzed over, so she's probably in some kind of trance. That's good. She won't remember today at all—just another shift that blinked by—but she follows the command, and the drinks vanish. Jenna will probably dump them down the sink, which is the best pce for those cocktails.

  "Sorry, Dee, but like I said earlier, pleasure first, and seeing you again genuinely was. Don't be a stranger, especially since you know where I'm going." Madison winks at me and walks away, and of course, there's a little extra sway in her hips.

  Once we're properly alone, I say. "What do you want, Rosaria?"

  Of course, then her fingers reach up and trace down my cheek. "I made my intentions very clear, darling." It causes another beat, but luckily, there still aren't any cracks in my shield. Rosaria taps the bracelet around my wrist and says, "You're mine, now."

  I might not be able to access my magic right now, but I have other options, like standing up. At the end of the day, it's broad daylight, and we're in a human cafe. I can just get up and walk away from Rosaria.

  Rosaria smirks at me, but doesn't try to stop me as I slide out of the booth and walk towards the door. I feel more than I hear her snap her fingers, and then I'm back in the booth.

  "Take this off of me." While scowling at Rosaria, this is ridiculous.

  "I will not. It marks you as mine; no one would dare poach you from me. It's for your protection, my darling." Rosaria's eyes are fully slitted, just like at the ball, and she seems amused. She's shed her veneer of humanity.

  "Do you think this is funny?"

  "I could give you everything, darling." Still no cracks at 'darling'; that's good. I'm feeling vulnerable right now. "Your little friend is going to Greece; I could send you there and look after your every need." Rosaria's fingers start pying with my hair, and I shiver. "Be mine?" I hate how much effort it takes to pull away from her, and I slide out of the booth again and walk towards the door. I'm halfway out to the street when I feel the snap, and I appear back into the booth. "Say yes, darling."

  Rosaria seems to be pushing hard right now, but she needs my consent, and I'm not going to give it to her. "No. Take off the bracelet, and let me go. I have work to do." There's bound to be something in my mailbox I could be doing. "This is my life you're messing with."

  Her fingers find their way into my hair again, and I hate how nice it feels. "You are my darling; that bracelet makes sure that everyone in our community knows it."

  "Rosaria, I can't use my magic with this on my wrist. You're actively endangering me." All kinds of people and not-so-people would love to have me this vulnerable, and it takes a lot of effort to shove down my rising panic and anger. I'm such an idiot; I knew that Madison was up to something. I assumed she was after information or a favour, but I never dreamed she would actually sell me out, literally in this case. "Take this bracelet off me. Now." I'm vibrating in rage, not fear, totally.

  "When you say yes, I'll take it off, but until that no becomes a yes, I won't." Rosaria feels amused, and this probably is a game to her, but it's very real to me.

  "I'm never going to say yes, you crazy bitch!"

  The fingers dancing in my hair go still for a single moment before they gather up my hair and pull backwards until I'm looking up at Rosaria. It's a sharp enough tug that I hiss in pain. "Naughty, Deliah. You were ever so polite at the ball, so demur, I do not like this willfulness or vulgarity. So very clever for a mortal, but your longing to belong will be the end of you. Your friend Madison betrayed you to me, after all, and I truly only want the best of things for you. I merely got to you first." Rosaria gnces over to the side. "Isn't that right, Maggie?"

  The unknown magic user from earlier walks out; she's still tranced. I can tell that much, even without my magic. Human, for sure, maybe 25, not all that much older than me.

  Maggie curtseys low and nods. "Yes, Lady Rosaria. My master is quite interested in Deliah."

  "And that is why you poisoned her drink, is it not?"

  Poisoned? The drugs and spells could be considered poisons, but Rosaria says exactly what she means.

  "My master provided items to neutralise her for capture, and I added to them; I don't want to be repced."

  A lot of magic users sell out to vampires, demons, fae, immortals, anyone and anything that will help them. Resources are hard to find; it took me six months to scrape enough materials together for my initial focus. A Patron could have given me the materials I needed in minutes. Humans have a lot of folklore about deals with the devil for a reason; I'm not foolish enough to bargain.

  My independence means a lot to me.

  "Go back to your master and tell him to leave my darling alone, understood?"

  "Yes, Lady Rosaria." There's a crack of thunder, and then Maggie vanishes. Teleportation must be nice. I haven't tried it yet, but it's too dangerous to mess around casually with. My shimmer is as close as I've come, and that's more rapid movement than teleportation.

  I don't have a lot of options right now, but if Rosaria wants some deference, I can manage that much. "Rosaria, please let go of me and take this bracelet off. I appreciate you looking out for me, but I can take care of myself. That Maggie has been following me around ever since the ball." I pause, just for a moment, before I say. "Much like you have. I have sensed you and my other admirers."

  I'm genuinely surprised when Rosaria lets go of my hair, and I slip down a little in the booth. Much better. "Your shields were quite adept at keeping me out of your home and office, but you left yourself far too open by frequenting pces like this."

  "I test the drinks every day. Madison was a pse in judgment."

  "A foolish one, but understandable, knowing you as I do."

  Part of me wants to shout that Rosaria doesn't know anything about me, but even if I dismiss the ball, who knows what she might have discovered over the past week via her snooping?

  Politeness works best with Rosaria, so for now, that's my best way forward. "So thank you for your help; lesson learned, but I really do need to be going."

  Rosaria's fingers reach out and dance across the bracelet, but the bracelet stays on my wrist. Nothing seems to be happening, but after a long minute, my magic is flooding back. "Your arsenal has been returned to you, just as you will return to me. In three days' time, I will summon you to me, darling. A formal invitation and attire will be provided on the day of."

  Wait, the bracelet isn't a shield, well, not just a shield? Rosaria can just restore my access without removing it? What has all this been, just to prove a point?

  "Thank you." I feel better already, more secure. "I have css in three days; my education is important to me."

  Rosaria gives me an affectionate look. "Darling, your schedule is known to me. Your afternoon is free on Wednesdays. I will only summon you after you have discharged your responsibilities."

  I'm not even going to ask how Rosaria knows that; I can think of half a dozen ways off the top of my head. It also doesn't give me a lot of options to refuse. If I push Rosaria too much right now, she can just turn my magic back off.

  Before I can answer, Rosaria wraps her hand around mine; she clearly wants me to be truthful, and that's annoying. "I do appreciate your help at the ball and today. I liked the time we spent together at the ball, but all of this makes me deeply uncomfortable."

  "We can discuss terms over dinner. It may be hard for you to believe, but you are genuinely safer today than you have ever been."

  Sure, I'm safe from everyone else, but not as secure as I was. Rosaria just has a different perception of things. Whatever this bracelet is, both practically and to the greater community, it might be a clear sign of choosing a side, and that isn't the impression I want to give.

  "This mark of allegiance, or whatever it is, could cost me clients. Other mortals come to me because I'm a free agent." Because I'm unattached, and that means they can trust me. This bracelet might as well be a brand.

  Rosaria's fingers start dancing up my arm, and I'm trembling wherever they touch. "We can speak of such things on Wednesday, my darling, and since I haven't yet, let me tell you just how impressed I am with you." She actually sounds impressed, and I hate how that makes me feel. Warm. Important. I shouldn't like being complimented by her, but my parents are never impressed. It's nice, and that's really dangerous. "If we had interacted like this at the ga, you would have been under my sway already. Aoife disrupted things, and I backed off for your well-being, but it's only been a matter of days, and not even a flinch."

  "I didn't like how she made me feel." Drowning in ice, sure, but it's like she amplified how alone I feel. "I'm not a fan of whatever you're doing when you call me 'darling' either." A false sense of belonging from a stranger, and something I deeply crave.

  "You like it nevertheless." Rosaria sounds smug. "Isn't that so, darling?" The thrum of bass is more directed than it's been all afternoon, and my answer is absolutely compelled.

  "Yes, but..."

  The fingers that have been dancing up my arms press lightly against my lips, and it's such an intimate sensation, and I'm so caught off guard that the words get stuck in my throat. "Hush." Once Rosaria is satisfied with my silence, she continues. "Mortals never change, Deliah, not really. You fight against your needs to the point of self-destruction. You specifically would only benefit from my help. What's worse is how you crave my attention; you need it like you need air, but you would suffocate before you accepted my help."

  "I would because that's how much independence means to me. You would destroy me, Rosaria." And I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror; I'm not Madison, no matter how tempting it is to give in and say yes.

  I don't know how Madison can recognise herself, or even how she started trading information for favours and wealth, how she justifies her betrayal, before and now. She sold me out! Me! Passing information is one thing, and I could forgive that, but this? I'm terrified. Rosaria probably thinks the trembling is from desire, and some of it is, but she has me trapped.

  Rosaria moves her fingers down across my colrbone and down my arm until she grasps my hand and gently squeezes it. "How are Michael and Sylvia?"

  She couldn't have stolen my breath away faster if she had punched me in the stomach. "What the fuck did you just say?" Why does she know my foster parents' names?!

  The fingers that were gently stroking my palm tighten until my hand starts to ache. "Darling, what did I say about vulgarity?"

  "No, you don't get to change the subject, Rosaria. Why are you asking about my foster parents?" If I thought it would get me anywhere, I would already be bolting down the block, but I wouldn't put it past Rosaria to let me feel a taste of freedom before she yanks me back into this booth.

  "We had a meeting with your social worker, of course." Her tone is so casual, she might as well have described the weather, not a direct invasion into my life.

  What?!

  My chest is starting to hurt, and my magic is bubbling under my skin, raw and jagged. Rosaria's appearance here was already enough stress; Madison's betrayal and discovering that Rosaria wasn't just digging into me, but my entire life, so directly, is terrifying. The lights overhead flicker once before exploding in a shower of sparks that cascade across the café.

  "Darling, are you quite alright?" Rosaria sounds concerned, and I can't trust it. But the beat of 'darling' is a whisper. She isn't acting out of genuine concern, just the desire to own me; she wants to lure me into a false sense of security.

  "No, of course not! I hate this. I never should have gone to the ball." Rosaria wouldn't be stalking me if I hadn't gone, and Madison wouldn't have betrayed me again. It was a complete mistake. I'm really aware of my heartbeat, just thudding in my chest, and I feel on the verge of tears. Gss or something shatters across the room, and again and again.

  Rosaria taps on her bracelet, and my magic vanishes again as she says. "Darling, calm down. Hear my voice and be calm."

  "Leave me alone!" I need to get away; I need to go! My magic is gone, but there's a sense of it burning me from within. Everything needs to stop; I need to be alone; I need quiet!

  I'm halfway out of my seat when Rosaria pulls me against her, even as something explodes overhead. "Darling." She croons, and then it's a chant. "Darling, darling, darling, darling." Each utterance is a beat of a bass, louder and louder until it feels like my skull is vibrating, and the world tilts as my defences shatter and everything goes bck.

  ***

  It's dark when I open my eyes next, and it feels like someone split my head open with an axe. What time is it, and for that matter, where am I?

  "Deliah, my love, you're awake." Rosaria melts out of the darkness, and I immediately reach for my magic, but there's nothing there. That's when I notice the bracelet on my wrist, and everything comes flooding back. Madison, the cafe, Rosaria. I'm somewhere with her, alone, unarmed, helpless. My heart starts to race again.

  "Where am I?" I try to sit up, and the room immediately starts to spin. Okay, lying down, it is.

  "A hotel, The Atntis Grand." Rosaria waves her hand dismissively as if she isn't describing the best hotel in town. This room is part of a suite; I doubt Rosaria has a single room. "You were quite distraught earlier."

  "I'm not much better right now." But leaving isn't happening any time soon, not based on the dizziness, so I guess I have to ask questions. "Why am I here?" And when can I leave? Part of me is gd I'm not home currently; waking up in my bedroom with Rosaria standing there would be worse.

  "I could hardly take you home, Deliah, and not simply because I can't access your house."

  The house might belong to my foster parents, but my shields mean they can't just invite a supernatural being inside, either. It also means my shields are weaker than they should be, considering the constant energy I keep pushing into them. I can't tell my parents about the monsters; they'd never believe me. Stronger shields will have to wait until I have a pce of my own; thankfully, the anchors are portable. Rosaria technically answered my question, but that was just one of many answers. I need more information.

  "Speaking of home, my foster parents are probably looking for me." I don't know what time it is. I can't see a clock, but it feels like starlight outside, so the sun has at least set. I must have been unconscious for hours.

  "You're working te tonight; I called them."

  "What?" Technically, I don't have a job, at least not as far as my parents are aware. When I'm in my office, I usually tell them I'm studying or at cheer practice. There's no way to expin why I have an office or what I do there. Wait, 'called them'. "You have a phone?!"

  "Yes, Deliah, obviously. One can hardly expect to walk through the mortal world without one." Okay, sure, but it feels weird and just leads to a ton of other questions, and the thought of working through them all has my blood pressure spiking.

  "My head is pounding; I'm dizzy. Can we just stop twenty questions? Can you tell me what's going on? All of it?" I don't have the patience or the energy for it. Today has been a total disaster, and I don't want tomorrow to come. I didn't accomplish any of my goals today, and more and more work is nding on my pte.

  "Very well, if you feel comfortable sitting up, there's water and painkillers for you, mortal ones, naturally."

  I gnce over, and sure enough, there is an unopened bottle of Midol; the caffeine might not hurt either; it's a good choice, but did Rosaria grab it, or did someone else? I'm torn between whether it's a joke at my expense or not. Whatever, let's see if I can sit up; moving is okay, not great, but okay. Much better than a few minutes ago. Rosaria's watching me with faint amusement as I struggle with the bottle until I finally manage to get it open and quickly down two of the pills with a gulp of water; okay, half the bottle, whatever. I was thirsty.

  "Thank you."

  "May I sit, Deliah?" Rosaria gestures to the end of the bed, and I'm tempted to deny her, just to be petty, but I really don't want to push her right now; even without the bracelet, I couldn't run if I tried.

  "Sure."

  To my shock, Rosaria sits a decent distance away from me. I was half expecting her to crowd my personal space. "To answer your questions, after the ball, I approached your social worker and arranged a meeting with your parents. Nominally, I saw an article about you in a local paper and wanted to help support your goals—a paid internship that ends with a schorship. Your parents and social worker were thrilled, and understandably so."

  I never thought that article would come back to haunt me; the paper ate it up, orphan to success story, but it also apparently gave Rosaria an avenue of attack I didn't expect. Stupid of me. Willow is a good social worker, and she probably leapt at the opportunity to help me. Why ask me if I wanted a paid internship after all? It isn't like my free time was at a premium before this or anything.

  "To be honest, I don't even know where to start with that, but that's for ter. What did you do to me?" There's a sharp accusatory edge to my question, but I'm scared and angry and half a dozen other emotions. I'm all out of polite deference.

  "You were destroying the cafe; I turned off your magic and subdued you."

  My magic did feel like it was bubbling out of me, a lot worse than when I exploded the gss back in the office. I can't wait for the Midol to kick in for this headache. I don't like Rosaria basically turning me off, but it's probably better than destroying the cafe or potentially hurting Jenna. Actually, I hope she's okay. I'll need to check tomorrow.

  What a fucking mess.

  "Look, thanks for that, but we're not doing this, Rosaria. I'm not your love or your dear or darling." There's an echo on 'darling' even though I'm the one who said it, and that's really concerning; that never happened before. "I'm Deliah Drake, and I'm not on anyone's side. I'll help anyone who asks and anyone who needs it. I can't do that under your banner."

  "Under my banner or in my bed, Deliah, there's little difference between them, and here you are." Rosaria sounds amused.

  "You knocked me unconscious and teleported me here." I'm guessing about the tter, but it makes more sense than walking around with an unconscious woman in her arms. Rosaria is powerful enough to keep anyone from seeing anything odd, but teleportation makes more sense.

  "I did, and I'll do it again. As I told you in the cafe, I'll summon you on Wednesday for a meeting."

  "And you'll just drag me there via teleportation if I refuse to show up." I need to get this bracelet off me. I let my guard down around Madison, but Rosaria won't have a chance to trick me the same way twice.

  "Of course, you haven't even listened to my terms or heard the various things I can offer you. No, Deliah, you're just digging your heels in and being stubborn." Rosaria sounds annoyed, really annoyed. Good, she deserves to be.

  "Ever since the ball, I've been looking into you, digging for information on the Crimson Dawn and you specifically, trying to learn everything I could, and you know what I found out? No one will talk about it, or you, at all. All anyone would tell me, people whom I've helped or even saved their lives, is that they wouldn't have approached me if I were working with you."

  That's what terrifies me, that people would have died, will die if I sign up with anyone. Maybe with the additional resources and support, I'd be able to help more people, but not everyone, not the ones who really need it, and if someone comes to me and Rosaria says no, I won't have a choice, I would need to send them away. I'm not going to do that to someone.

  Rosaria looks smug. "We like our privacy, now, for the deal between us. How does twenty thousand dolrs a week sound as a retainer?"

  I was expecting a sales pitch. I wasn't expecting a dolr amount; certainly nothing close to that. I'm making gasping noises. That's a lot of money—more money than I've ever dreamed about having, probably more than even Madison makes. Would it upset her to know I have a better deal than her, and all because of her betrayal?

  Don't make a stupid decision out of spite, Deliah, no matter how tempting.

  "Unbelievable, but I'm still going to decline." My stomach twists; with that kind of money, I could have anything I want, magical or mundane. Okay, not technically, but an awful lot. Turning it down feels wrong, but I need to ignore that impulse.

  There's the noise of a doorbell or something, and Rosaria looks at me sharply. "I ordered you room service, no strings, but you need to eat. Your episode depleted a lot of your energy; it's part of why you're feeling dizzy. I'll be right back, don't move." And then she's gone.

  I can't feel my magic, and that makes it hard to gauge my energy levels. Being outside would let me recharge and find my emotional bance, but right now, that would require me to ask Rosaria to carry me, and I'm not going to do that. I could try to crawl, but that would probably be even more humiliating because Rosaria would probably just throw me over her shoulder and put me back in bed. I was drunk from the siren song when Annabeth pulled me into the princess carry, and I felt safe then. Part of me longs to be in Rosaria's arms; I really enjoyed it at the ball until she got possessive. Here, in a hotel room, alone together, anything could happen. The stupid thing is that I still kind of want to kiss her; I'm such an idiot.

  Food really will help; Rosaria is right about that, unfortunately. I wouldn't put it past her to give me simple instructions, like to eat, just to get me accustomed to listening to her. It's something I need to be careful about.

  A room service cart rolls itself into this bedroom, tracing little sparks on the carpet. That makes sense. I'm not surprised that Rosaria wouldn't push it or allow whoever works at this hotel into this bedroom. I'm not even sure how she would expin me. Honestly, she would probably just use a spell on whoever it was.

  "Dinner has arrived." There's a wryness to Rosaria's tone, but more importantly, there's something that smells an awful lot like coffee, and I could use a cup or twelve.

  I've been pushing my luck a lot tonight. I'm feeling a bit more settled than I was earlier, and my common sense is back. I'm at Rosaria's mercy, and I really need to keep that in mind. "Thank you. Are you eating?"

  "I see your manners have returned, and yes, I thought we might share a meal." Yeah, she's definitely irritated, and unlike earlier, I'm awake enough to be afraid.

  It's time to apologise and see if I can dig myself out of this hole. "Lady Rosaria, I apologise for my behaviour. I'm scared." Terrified, really, but that excuse isn't going to get me anywhere. "And I'm shing out. We might disagree on several things, but I should be civil." Or at least try to be. Rosaria talked about whisking me away at the ball, and tonight, she had her chance. Thankfully, not to wherever she lives, just a nice hotel across town, but the point still stands.

  "Deliah, your apology is accepted. I admit I was growing tired of your attitude, but you're young, and I hadn't considered all the details. A person you once called a friend and had a crush on betrayed you to me. Your abilities are votile, and you wake up alone with me, powerless. Any one of those things would give beings much more power than you pause."

  I want to go home, crawl into my bed, and just stay there for a few days, but even if I get away from Rosaria tonight, and I have my doubts about that even being possible at this point, my life is way too complicated now for that. Wait, how does Rosaria know about my crush on Madison? It wasn't obvious; I made sure of it.

  Rule one of teenage lesbianism: don't crush on your straight friends.

  I don't have time for this right now. For the first time since I first opened my connection to the stars, I regret it. I could just be a schoolgirl, getting good grades, looking for a schorship, worrying about dating girls, and that's it. Now I'm worrying about all that stuff and getting killed or ensved or worse. Magic can do all kinds of things, and most of them are terrible.

  Eating in this bed is probably a bad idea, but I'm still feeling dizzy. I'm not sure if I can get up on my own, and asking Rosaria for help feels like a mistake waiting to happen. Showing I need her help is bad enough; asking for it is even worse.

  Coffee first, though. I'm still feeling pretty sluggish, and it's almost as good for my reserves as alcohol.

  "Umm, so are we eating on the bed?" Rosaria's grin has me looking away from her in embarrassment; that's why I'm blushing. Yep.

  Yeah, that was a stupid question, and I shouldn't give her openings like that.

  "There may be time for that another day; I doubt you're up for anything athletic this evening. To answer the question you intended to ask, however, there's a dining area in the other room. How is your head? Speak honestly."

  That's a command—nothing magical, but a command nonetheless. I want to lie, but I don't have the energy right now, and it wouldn't get me anywhere. Besides, I might as well tell the truth. "It hurts, and I'm still dizzy."

  "Very well." The room service cart rolls through a different door as Rosaria moves off the bed and over to my side. "I'll assist you."

  I don't like this at all, but I also need her help, and that's the frustrating thing. It's like Rosaria is manufacturing consent, putting me in situations where I don't have any choice but to accept her help until it becomes a habit. I can worry about that ter. Accept help now, get coffee, and hope it helps me feel better, panic, and freak out ter. That's almost a pn.

  "Thank you; help would be appreciated." And not just because if I refuse and fall on the floor, there's a good chance Rosaria will leave me there to prove a point. A little help won't tie me to Rosaria any more than I am now.

  Rosaria extends her right hand to me, something familiar from the ball and probably appropriate in this context. "I'm happy to escort you then." She's just rubbing it in now, but fine. The world only shakes a little as I slip onto my feet. Rosaria steadies me with her left hand, and I smile at her before I realise what I'm doing.

  I'm so fucking hopeless; stop being pleased with the hot woman who's holding you prisoner, Deliah; maybe Annabeth was right about being a bimbo because I'm being really stupid right now.

  How different would tonight feel if Rosaria had sent an invitation, wined and dined me instead of sending a friend to betray and then ambush me? Would I be a giggly mess like at the ball? Probably.

  Rosaria feels like she's gliding when she walks, which makes getting out of this bedroom and into the attached dining room remarkably easy. Part of me is rexing on Rosaria's arm, and I hate that part of me. I even giggle as she pulls out my chair and slips me into it. Rosaria grins at me—wonderful.

  "Thank you, Rosaria. What's for dinner?" Because it smells good, and I'm hungry, but if I had to choose, it would be the coffee over the food.

  "Bckened Salmon on rice, with asparagus on the side. There's coffee for you since you didn't drink your mocha. Would you like a cup?"

  It's probably a mistake, but I say. "Desperately." Thankfully, Rosaria just winks at me, and a mug and then the coffee float over, followed by what I assume is cream and sugar, precious, precious coffee. The first sip is heaven; there's a hint of chocote and something else, but it doesn't matter because it's delicious. "Oh yeah." Rosaria lifts her eyebrow when I moan, and that's embarrassing.

  "I take it the coffee is good." She's amused, and yeah, I'm making an idiot of myself.

  "Much better than the cafe." Sorry, Jenna, but it is. "And I needed the caffeine; it's already helping. Thank you."

  "Such a treasure, Deliah." I frown at Rosaria, but maybe not for the reason she might expect. She hasn't said, "Darling," since I woke up here. It's a change in behaviour, and I don't like it. "Let us eat." Ptes float over from the tray and nd in front of both of us. Okay, then. I do need to eat, and then hopefully, I'll feel less dizzy. The food does smell good.

  We're halfway through our meal when there's a knock on one of the doors, and after that, Rosaria says. "Come in." A very pretty blond woman walks through, and she looks professional and polished in a way I'm not, especially right now. I feel like a wreck, and I have no idea what I look like. Probably worse than I feel. She's carrying a bag, but I can't make out the logo; if I had access to my magic, I could enhance my vision, but If I had access to my magic, I'd probably use a gmour, just a small temporary one, to make myself feel better, but I doubt my makeup held up during my nap. I need a mirror.

  Galina doesn't seem to be judging me, but I am. She's wearing a cute, professional yet fashionable office dress. She looks amazing.

  Why didn't Rosaria warn me someone was going to show up?

  Whoever she is, Rosaria doesn't seem surprised. Actually, she looks kind of happy; it's weird. "Galina, this is Deliah."

  "Miss Drake, I'll be taking care of your onboarding ter this week." Ah, she has a beautiful voice! Light and melodic. I can't sense a hum from Galina, though, but that could be the bracelet or something else. There are ways to obscure your ability to use magic, and if anyone has access to them, it's Rosaria.

  "Umm, hi." Can I pat my hair down without being too obvious? Wait, onboarding sounds official; I thought whatever job Rosaria told Willow and my foster parents about was a falsehood, an excuse for me to be out te or something.

  Is there an employment contract?

  I guess it makes sense; Morrigan is a CEO, so it makes sense that Rosaria might; it's just weird. Too many movies and books showing the supernatural keep themselves separate. It's something I'm still adjusting to and occasionally forget.

  "Galina has a change of clothes for you and some cosmetic items for after our meal. She's my executive assistant, and you'll be working closely together." That at least expins what's in the bag; Galina sets it on the floor by the door.

  I haven't formally accepted the internship, but I can't refuse, not with my foster parents and Willow already involved. I also don't know how much Galina knows about the supernatural; she might be entirely unaware.

  There's no way of knowing without asking, and pissing off Rosaria by revealing secrets she was keeping isn't high on my to-do list right now, but she must, right? Is there any reasonable expnation for why I'm alone in a hotel room with Rosaria, looking dishevelled without magic?

  Okay, that isn't helpful, brain; I really hope they don't notice my blush.

  Polite seems to work best with Rosaria, but that's a slippery slope; I already defer to her too much, but she gets angry when I act out.

  What a fucking mess.

  "That's very kind of you, Rosaria, and you as well, Galina."

  Galina has a great smile. Apparently, slightly older, professionally dressed women do something for me. Who knew? Okay, I sort of did, but wow. Besides, I don't see a ring, so I can look without feeling too bad about it. "I'm just doing my job, Deliah, but you're welcome. We can talk more on Friday. Your meal is getting cold." Galina ughs. "Trust me, unless it's sushi, cold salmon is rubbery."

  The food and coffee are helping; I'm not feeling dizzy anymore, and I think I might be able to stand and walk on my own. Congratutions, Deliah, you're now on the same level as most three-year-old humans.

  "Thank you again." I gnce over at Rosaria and only start eating after her nod. There I go, deferring to her again like an idiot, but my heart flutters when she smiles at me, and I like how the smile makes me feel.

  It isn't a spell, just longing. Rosaria was right when she called me 'the outsider' at the ball. I want to belong, but only on my terms. I'm successful in a lot of ways, but every day feels like I'm walking on cracking ice, and sooner or ter, I'm going to plunge through.

  "As always, Galina, thank you for your assistance."

  "I'll see you in the morning, Ma'am. Enjoy your evening." I swear, Galina just winked at me, but it might just have been my imagination. It's running a little wild tonight, but I watch her turn and go.

  It's only when Rosaria clears her throat that I look back over at her. "You seem quite taken with my assistant, Deliah." You can force yourself not to blush just through willpower, right? Based on the raw heat moving into my cheeks, apparently not.

  Shit.

  "Galina is impressive." Quick, change the topic. "What was that she said about onboarding?"

  "Oh, Deliah." Rosaria sounds so disappointed that I flinch. "You can't even admit to your desires in private; what am I going to do with you? Just once, be honest without being compelled."

  I don't gain anything by lying here; I'm just not sure what Rosaria gains by admitting how attractive I find Galina. There's only one way to find out, though.

  "She's beautiful, so well put together, and I probably look like a mess. Happy now?" Because I'm not.

  "She is, but you aren't a mess, far from it. We'll have time for that ter; how are you feeling?"

  "Embarrassed, mostly, but I'm not dizzy any more. The food and caffeine have helped, thank you." I'm thinking more clearly, too, as I settle into whatever new reality this is. Rosaria isn't going away, not anytime soon. Maybe once she gets whatever she wants from me, but even then, I have my doubts.

  "We have a wonderful view of the skyline; once you've eaten your fill, we can head outside to the balcony, and you can reach out to the stars if you wish."

  I never told her that's how my magic works, but I'm not surprised that she knows, either. She either heard me talking to Annabeth about it at the ball or figured it out from watching me this past week.

  "I'd quite like that. I thought about asking before dinner, but I wasn't confident in my ability to stand."

  "You were hollow, my dear. Filling yourself with starlight would have only hurt you."

  Okay, she's actively avoiding it at this point, and I want to know why. " I can't help but notice that you haven't called me, darling." My fork tumbles from my hand as I say, "Darling." The bass feels like it came from inside of me, much stronger than earlier.

  There's a sharp smile on Rosaria's lips. "Would you like me to?"

  "You're in my head." The accusation comes out in a hiss, but that's the only thing that makes sense.

  "Nothing so paltry as telepathy, Deliah." Rosaria taps the base of her colrbone, and I feel the thrum. "I'm in your heart, my darling." Forget bass, forget music entirely; I think my entire sense of self just shifted for a single instant. I feel tingly. The st time I felt like this was when I was kissing Annabeth. My body felt amazing then; it feels amazing now, and I hate it.

  It's unwelcome.

  "Undo it, Rosaria. Undo it now." My tone is whinier than I would prefer; I was going for commanding, but it sounds like pleading even to me. Maybe that's all it is. A plea for help, and my only avenue right now is my captor.

  "Calm down, Deliah; it's temporary; I've been avoiding triggering the effect; you're the one who asked."

  "I did, but you triggered it because you wanted to. You've been waiting for me to ask." And speaking of asking, "Why did Galina bring me clothes? I'm dressed now, and I'm not staying over. I have css in the morning."

  "In truthfulness, Deliah, I was hoping you would ask when Galina was here. Watching you squirm would have been delicious. As for the clothes, you're officially attending a welcome party for the interns. I thought it would work better for our lie if your parents are still awake when you return home."

  It isn't our lie; it's hers, and now I have to maintain it—at least until I get this bracelet off. Once that happens, I'm done.

  "That's thoughtful of you." I need to speed this along, get tonight over with and head home. I'm not going to feel safe until I'm within my shields. "I think I would like to recharge now if you're finished eating."

  "I am." Rosaria slips out of her chair and over to my side before I can take a single breath, and then she pulls out my chair. I knew she could move fast, but that's worrying. Even without the bracelet, could I actually run from her? Shimmer or no shimmer, I have my doubts. "It's through the door Galina came through and then out to our right."

  Be polite. When I get home, I can put up a quiet field and scream until my throat is raw.

  "Wonderful, shall we then?" I extend my arm to her, mainly to see what Rosaria would do, and to my surprise, she ughs before taking my arm and curling into my side. Whatever I expected, it wasn't for Rosaria to demur to me, but I'll take it.

  This suite, or penthouse, or whatever it is, is enormous. I suspected, but as we walked through the first door, the hallway just kept going, with a dozen doors. Let's see, Rosaria said, to the right, and sure enough, there are rge gss double doors; those seem like a good start.

  My breath catches as we walk through the doors and out onto the roof. We must be thirty stories up or more. I've never been this high up before; it's like the entire sky is in front of me. It's breathtaking.

  I'm not sure if I can recharge with the bracelet blocking my magic, but before I can begin to ask, Rosaria taps it a few times, and my power surges back.

  The roof itself is beautiful, set up like a garden, but I'm much more attached to the sky and stars than to pnts and the earth. It would make for a lovely backdrop to a date, though.

  I've never been this close to the stars before, and the energy feels eager as I open my connection, almost like a bolt of lightning looking for grounding. It's wonderful

  Little aches I hadn't noticed earlier are just gone; I'm just aware of their absence now. Forget coffee (not that I will; a coffee fix is something else altogether). I feel full of energy, awake for the first time in hours, and whole. With my magic and my connection to the stars open, everything feels the way it's supposed to. It's almost a shame to close the connection. For a single instant, I consider pouring energy into the bracelet to see what would happen, but blowing off my hand is pretty high on the list of possibilities, so let's call that pn zero for when I run out of other options.

  "Absolutely stunning." Rosaria sounds impressed, and I like that because I'm a moron. "No small wonder, my dear, that you are so sensitive; the stars positively sing when you connect yourself to them."

  I'm not afraid of heights, and right now, that's a bad thing because I'm seriously wondering how amazing it would be to use my shimmer to zip across the skyline in freefall. To be a shooting star instead of just connecting to them.

  It sounds incredible.

  "It's when I feel the most like myself." Whole, and it's the only time I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be.

  "Because it's who you really are." Rosaria waves her hand out towards the city. "You aren't like them, scurrying around with mundane lives, no matter how much of yourself you cut off and shrink into boxes. Daughter, Cheerleader, Student, Detective. You, Deliah Drake, are so much more than the sum of your parts."

  "Maybe, but those parts of me matter." Some of them are more transitional, like student. I'm going to university. I want to get a degree and make a life for myself outside of magic, but it matters to me right now.

  "We should get you home, Deliah. I'll see you on Wednesday."

  Sure, home, I just hope. I feel secure there. Besides, some small part of me really wants to see what clothes Galina has brought me; she has a good sense of fashion, and I'm sure I'll look incredible.