Chapter 23

The house is quiet as I make my way to the kitchen, the early morning light filtering through the windows.

The house seems to be steering with life as the maids begin to appear little by little.

My body feels heavy, my mind still reeling from everything that’s happened. The flight back from Paris was a blur, and I barely slept, my thoughts consumed by guilt and fear.

We just got back, and I'm supposed to head to bed to catch whatever little sleep I can, but my mind is still going haywire.

I need something to distract myself, even if it’s just the mundane task of finding something to eat.

When I step into the kitchen, the smell of sizzling bacon and freshly brewed coffee hits me, a comforting contrast to the chaos in my head.

Mara is at the stove, her back to me as she flips pancakes with practiced ease. She doesn’t turn around when I enter, but I know she’s aware of my presence.

She always is.

“Morning,” I say softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

She glances over her shoulder, her expression unreadable. “Morning. You look like hell.”

I manage a weak smile, though it doesn’t reach my eyes. “Feel like it too.”

She turns back to the stove, her tone casual. “I don’t know what happened in Paris, but I’m guessing it didn’t go well if the boss didn’t stop by the kitchen to say hi. How bad was it?"

I wince, her words cutting deeper than I expected. “Yeah, it didn’t exactly go as planned and I'll say on a scale of one to ten, it was a minus three hundred. ”

She shrugs, flipping another pancake onto the growing stack. “No meeting with the council ever does good. They’re not exactly known for their fairness or reason.”

I lean against the counter, my arms crossed over my chest. “I thought if I just explained myself, they’d understand. But they didn’t. And now… now they’re after us.”

She turns to face me, her gaze steady. “As long as you’re alive or the council is, you’ll always be in danger. That’s just the way it is.”

Her words are blunt, but there’s no malice in them. Just a simple statement of fact. Still, they hit me like a punch to the gut.

I expected her to be angry, to blame me for putting them all in danger. After all, she once told me I’d be the reason they’d all die.

But instead, she’s calm, almost resigned.

“You’re not mad?” I ask, my voice trembling.

She raises an eyebrow, her tone dry. “Mad? No. Disappointed? Maybe. But not mad. The council’s been a thorn in our side for as long as I can remember. This isn’t anything new.”

I swallow hard, my guilt twisting in my chest. “I just… I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

She sighs, setting the spatula down and turning to face me fully. “I know you didn’t. But intentions don’t matter to the council. All they care about is power. And right now, you’re a threat to that power.”

Before I can respond, Achilles strolls into the kitchen, his usual smirk plastered on his face. “Morning, ladies. What’s with the gloomy faces? Did someone forget to add sugar to the coffee?”

Mara rolls her eyes, turning back to the stove. “I was just telling her the truth. No point in sugarcoating it.”

Achilles leans against the counter beside me, his tone light. “Yeah, well, maybe ease up a bit. You’re scaring the poor girl.”

Mara shoots him a look, her expression sharp. “She needs to know what she’s up against. You of all people should understand that.”

For a moment, the humor in Achilles’ eyes fades, replaced by something darker. Something haunted.

But just as quickly as it appears, it’s gone, replaced by his usual grin. “Yeah, well, I also know that scaring her isn’t going to help. What she needs is to get stronger. And lucky for her, I’m volunteering to be her personal trainer.”

I blink at him. “You want to be the personal trainer of a hybrid vampire?”

He nods, his grin widening. “Yep. Consider me the president of your training committee. We’ll have you kicking shade butt in no time.”

Mara snorts, shaking her head. “Before you start playing hero, maybe let her rest. She’s been flying all night, and she looks like she’s about to collapse. And for the love of all that’s holy, let her eat breakfast. You can’t train on an empty stomach.”

Achilles throws up his hands in mock surrender. “Yes, Mother. Whatever you say.”

Mara glares at him, but there’s a hint of a smile playing on her lips. “Silly boy.”

I can’t help but laugh, the sound surprising even me. It’s a small, fleeting moment of lightness in the midst of all the chaos, but it’s enough to ease some of the tension in my chest.

Mara sets a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of me, her tone softer now. “Eat. You’ll need your strength.”

I nod, picking up my fork and taking a bite. The food is warm and comforting and even though I can't taste it in all its glory, whatever little I can taste soothes me.

As I eat, Achilles starts talking about his grand plans for my training, his enthusiasm infectious.

Mara interjects with sarcastic comments, but there’s a fondness in her tone that makes it clear she cares.

As I finish my breakfast, Achilles claps a hand on my shoulder, his grin wide. “Ready to get started, champ?”

"Maybe after a six hour power nap?”

"Shades don't nap, Princess. Up, up, up!" He gingers me and I groan, getting to my feet nonetheless.

Mara shakes her head, muttering under her breath. “God help us all.”