Astraea's POV
I stood stiffly at the top of the staircase, watching with tired eyes as a line of humans, servants, apparently, bowed their heads one by one and introduced themselves like I was supposed to care about who they were.
"Good morning, Lady Astraea. I'm Eliza, the cook."
"My name is Jared, and I manage the garden and lawn."
"Miss, I'm Felicity, and I handle laundry and interior cleaning."
Blah, blah, blah.
Their words drifted past me like wind with their names, faces, and duties, and I forgot each one of them the moment they spoke it.
All of this was Draven's brilliant idea, of course, and he stood beside me with that usual composed expression he always had on his face, with his hands clasped behind his back like he was conducting a royal ceremony.
"Proper respect and structure will help the staff understand your place here," he had said earlier. "And they need to know who you are if you're going to live here."
As if the scent of power and the threat radiating off me like a second skin weren't enough of a clue.
I folded my arms and shifted my weight, letting my irritation show. My expression didn't change as they each bowed deeply and spoke with rehearsed politeness.
The house was already clean and quiet, and I didn't need a roll call of humans explaining how they folded sheets or cleaned surfaces.
Finally, when the last one, a short man with shaky hands, mumbled his name and backed away, I rolled my eyes.
"Wonderful," I said flatly. "Now that you've all gotten that out of your system, here's my rule."
They stood there quietly, with their eyes lowered, while they waited for me to continue.
"As long as none of you offend me," I said, lifting my chin slightly, "we'll be fine."
No smiles. No thank-yous. No pretend affection. I wasn't here to make friends with mortals.
Then, with a flick of my wrist, I waved them away. "You may go."
Draven didn't even need to speak because with a simple nod from him, the servants bowed once more and retreated in silence, returning to whatever tedious chore they'd been pulled from to parade themselves in front of me like I was some queen in need of followers.
The moment they were out of earshot, I turned to him with a scowl. "Was that supposed to entertain me?"
"No," he replied calmly. "It was meant to establish authority. They need to know you're in charge here."
"I am in charge here, but that doesn't mean I want to know how many clothes Felicia washes a week."
"Felicity."
"Whatever."
He exhaled softly but didn't argue, and I walked over to the window, pushing aside the curtain just enough to let in a sliver of sunlight. It hit my face, warm and too cheerful, and I hissed and quickly stepped back. I'd never get used to the brightness of this place.
"Tell me something," I said, turning toward him again. "Am I supposed to just stay in this house forever? Locked in with these very obedient cleaners?"
Draven raised an eyebrow. "You're not locked in, Lady Astraea."
"Could've fooled me," I said as I flopped on the velvet couch in the center of the room. "Isn't there something fun to do in the human world? Something that doesn't involve stupid introductions?"
Draven tilted his head, amused. "Define fun."
"I don't know," I said, flinging an arm across the back of the couch. "Something chaotic and possibly destructive. I was expecting strange and pathetic mortals with inflated egos, so where's all of that? Why does everything here feel so... civilized?"
He chuckled lightly. "You've been here less than forty-eight hours. Give it time."
"I'm bored," I grumbled. "And I don't do well with boredom. Just ask the last person who thought I'd enjoy tea time."
"I'd rather not."
I narrowed my eyes. "You said I needed to blend in and that I needed to adapt to this world, which is fine by me, but don't you think you should show me what humans do for fun? Give me something to burn energy on before I start turning people into toads."
Draven gave me a patient look, like he was already used to my flair for dramatics. "Very well. There are clubs, bars, fighting gyms—"
I perked up. "Gyms?"
"Yes. Humans sometimes train and compete in physical sports for entertainment and strength, or some try to keep fit, I guess, so they exercise," he explained.
"Do they bleed?"
He paused. "It depends on which one of the gyms we visit. If it's a training gym, then, yes, bleeding does occasionally happen."
I sat up straighter, intrigued. "Alright then, take me to one."
"Right now?"
"Yes. I'm in the mood to hit something or watch something get hit."
He gave a faint nod and then gestured for me to follow. "Give me ten minutes to arrange transportation, but Astraea," he added as I walked past him, "no using powers on civilians. You know the rules."
I waved a dismissive hand over my shoulder. "Relax, I'll play nice. I also don't want to get into any trouble."
At least for now.
Because if I was stuck here, in this strange human world, I might as well explore what it had to offer, and if there was even a hint of a challenge out there, something wild, and something powerful, then I was going to find it or start it myself.