Chapter 12: The Veil of Deception

Seraphina had always known the difference between truth and illusion.

But now, as she stood in the moonlit corridors of the castle, she wasn't sure anymore.

Raziel's words still lingered in her mind, weaving into her thoughts like a spell she couldn't break. I do.

A simple answer. A dangerous one.

She pressed a hand to her temple, trying to quiet the storm inside her.

She needed clarity. She needed distance.

What she didn't need was Lysander waiting for her in the hallway.

—❖—

His expression was unreadable as he leaned against the stone wall, arms crossed, golden eyes sharp in the dim light.

"You're awake late."

"So are you," she replied, not stopping as she walked past him.

Lysander pushed off the wall and fell into step beside her. "Can't sleep?"

Seraphina exhaled. "Is this an interrogation?"

"Call it concern."

She glanced at him, searching for something—anything—that might tell her what he was thinking. But Lysander was careful. He always had been.

And that was the problem.

She had trusted him for so long. But now…

Now, something felt off.

She stopped walking. "Lysander, what do you really want?"

His gaze flickered, just for a second, before he answered. "To protect you."

A truth. A lie. Maybe both.

Seraphina studied him. "From what?"

His jaw tightened. "You already know."

Raziel.

The name neither of them said out loud.

Lysander stepped closer, his voice low. "He's dangerous, Seraphina. You know that."

Her heart pounded. "Then tell me why."

He hesitated—too long.

Seraphina took a step back. "You're keeping things from me."

"I'm trying to keep you safe."

The sharpness in his voice made her pause.

Lysander rarely lost control. He was always calculated, always measured. But now…

Now, she could feel something else beneath his words. Frustration. Maybe even desperation.

And that unsettled her more than anything.

—❖—

Later that night, Seraphina found herself drawn to the forest beyond the castle walls.

She didn't intend to seek him out. But somehow, her steps carried her there anyway.

The trees whispered around her, the shadows shifting as if alive. And then—

"I was wondering when you'd come."

She turned sharply.

Raziel stood against a gnarled tree, arms folded, silver eyes glinting in the darkness.

Seraphina steadied her breath. "I never said I would."

He smirked. "Yet here you are."

Her fingers curled into fists. "You—"

"I what?" Raziel took a step forward. "Intrigue you? Frighten you?" His voice lowered. "Or is it something else?"

She hated how her pulse quickened.

"You're arrogant."

He tilted his head. "And you're afraid."

Seraphina stiffened. "Of what?"

Raziel's gaze didn't waver.

"The truth."

The wind howled between them, but Seraphina stood her ground.

She refused to be controlled.

But as Raziel reached out—his fingers brushing against the air between them—she couldn't deny the truth:

She wasn't afraid of him.

She was afraid of what she might remember.

And that terrified her most of all.

—❖—