The guest room was warm. A fire burned low in the corner, crackling gently as the soft scent of wood and herbs filled the air.
Ariadne, oblivious to the magic threading through the air, slept soundly on the bed. Theo had been careful with her—he made sure she was comfortable, that her unconscious form was protected from the cold. Cassian, for all his teasing, had helped too, quietly and without comment.
Still, they couldn't stop discussing her.
"She shouldn't be here," Cassian said, standing by the window, arms folded across his chest as he stared into the night. "How could this happen?" He was baffled. No human could enter their world.
Theo, seated at the edge of the bed, studied Ariadne's face, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest. "There's a reason for everything," he said quietly. "What are your thoughts about this… pull?"
Cassian's gaze flicked toward Theo. "I honestly don't know." His eyes settled on the sleeping girl.
It was rare—so rare, he hadn't heard of it happening in centuries. Vampires didn't form bonds. Not unless they had been marked. So, for Ariadne to be here, inexplicably connected to Caelen without ever meeting him, was... unsettling.
The fire crackled, the only sound between them.
Then Cassian exhaled and pushed off the wall. "Isn't it dangerous?" he asked quietly. "If she's... somehow tied to this pull we don't understand?"
"I don't know," Theo admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I don't think she's the problem. It's whatever's tied to her that could be."
Just then, Ariadne shifted. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she began to stir. Her eyelids fluttered, and for a long moment, Theo and Cassian stood silently, watching her wake.
---
Ariadne's eyes flickered open, the world around her coming into focus slowly. The air was warm and soothing—so different from the bitter cold outside. She was cocooned in thick blankets, and her head felt heavy, like sleep had clung to her for too long.
The room was unfamiliar. Large, comfortably furnished. A soft fire crackled in a hearth across the room, casting golden light across the stone walls. The scent of herbs, wood, and something faintly floral lingered in the air.
It took her a moment to remember why she was here.
She sat up abruptly, heart pounding. The gate. The cold. The strange pull. The house.
Her gaze snapped to the two men standing by the bed, watching her closely.
Theo stood closest, his face softened with concern. His posture was calm—almost too calm. His eyes were kind, steady… yet something simmered beneath the surface. Something she couldn't quite name.
The other man leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. There was a quiet, dangerous grace about him. His gaze met hers briefly, sharply, before shifting away.
"Where am I?" Ariadne rasped. Her throat felt dry, her voice rough.
"You're safe," Theo said gently, stepping closer. "You've been asleep for a few hours. We had to bring you inside. You passed out in the cold."
She glanced toward the window. Outside, the night had deepened; the world was cloaked in darkness.
"I—I didn't mean to. I wasn't supposed to intrude…"
"It's fine," Theo assured her, shaking his head. "You didn't intrude. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Ariadne frowned, trying to piece together fragments of the night. The gate… the house… the man. His face was seared into her memory, yet somehow just out of reach—like a dream slipping through her fingers.
"I… I saw him," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. "The man. The one from my dreams. He was here."
Theo's expression shifted, surprise flashing in his eyes. "You saw him?"
"Yes," she whispered, trembling now. "I didn't imagine it. I saw him. I felt it."
Cassian, who had been silent, straightened slightly. His sharp gaze didn't waver. "What exactly did you feel, Ariadne?"
Her name sounded foreign on his tongue—distant, yet oddly familiar.
"I… I felt something pull me to him," she murmured. "Something I couldn't explain. And when I saw him, I knew. I knew it was him. The one from my dreams."
Cassian exchanged a glance with Theo. Ariadne felt the weight of whatever passed between them, something unsaid but unmistakably significant. Theo gave a small nod, his expression softening.
Ariadne swallowed, her heart still thumping in her chest. "Is he… is he dangerous?"
Theo hesitated, then said, "Not to you. Not unless you push him."
"And if I do?" she asked quietly, her eyes searching his.
Theo met her gaze evenly. "Then we will all have to deal with the consequences."
Ariadne shuddered slightly at the weight of his words. It felt like they were speaking in riddles, in half-truths, but something in her made her trust them.
For now
"He won't let you in easily," Cassian said at last, his voice soft but firm. "Caelen… he's not like us. He won't trust you. Not until you prove you're worthy of whatever this is."
'Caelen' Ariadne repeated his name in her head,she loved the name.
She looked at Cassian, nodded slowly, taking in his words. She felt the weight of his warning, but also a strange pull, a deeper sense of purpose that whispered that this was only the beginning.
And the only way forward was toward him.