Fragile guest

Chapter 9

Blood. Screams. Silence.

Leron Vaciem stumbled through the broken forest, his clothes torn, his arm bloodied. The beast raid had come without warning—his squad hadn't stood a chance. He had watched them fall one by one. He should've died too… but something, or someone, had kept him going.

"Over here!" a voice called through the trees.

Leron barely registered the figure racing toward him, light magic glowing faintly around her fingertips. The warmth touched his skin before she even reached him, mending the worst of the damage. Her eyes were wide with concern, her blonde hair clinging to her face from sweat and panic.

"You're safe now," Eloise whispered. "I've got you."

He collapsed into her arms.

---

The Thorne Manor—publicly known as the Carter House—was quiet by the time Eloise returned, half-carrying Leron inside. Old Lue had already made arrangements the moment she heard of Eloise's return with a survivor. The boy was a wreck: skin pale, eyes hollow, energy nearly spent.

But he was still alive.

Eloise laid him on one of the spare beds, gently brushing his silver-blond hair back. A faint, translucent shimmer clung to his skin, like moonlight caught in water. She frowned.

"Your attire is like that of a noble... are you?" she murmured.

Leron's lips twitched, almost in a smirk. "Partially. You're sharp."

Before she could ask more, a soft knock echoed at the door. Eloise turned, surprised, just as Adrian stepped in.

He looked tired—more than usual—and moody, as always, but his presence sucked the air out of the room anyway. His eyes landed on Leron immediately, sharp and unreadable.

Adrian blinked once.

Then narrowed his eyes.

"You're an angel?" he asked flatly, voice like a blade.

Eloise blinked, confused. "You can tell that just by looking?"

Adrian didn't answer her. His gaze stayed fixed on Leron, whose faint smile didn't waver.

"See?" Eloise beamed, misreading the situation completely. "Even he realizes it. You're amazing, Leron."

Adrian's brow twitched.

What's with that blush?

She wasn't even looking at him. She was all smiles and sparkles at this pretty half-angel boy she just saved like they were in a romance novel. What was this?

Adrian's jaw clenched.

The ground under Leron's bed vibrated. A low rumble crept up from the foundation, like a growl echoing through stone.

Eloise didn't notice.

But Leron did.

He flinched, sitting up with a sharp gasp.

Adrian didn't move, but his glare intensified.

"You should rest," he muttered without taking his eyes off Leron, though his words were directed at Eloise. "Your guest is… fragile."

"I think he's strong," Eloise said softly, brushing her hand over Leron's. "You made it through so much."

Now she's holding his damn hand?

Adrian turned around before his glare became a firestorm. He didn't say goodbye. He just left the room, the air growing colder behind him.

---

Outside, the wind howled faintly. Adrian stood still, hands clenched in his pockets, his head tilted toward the cloudy sky.

"What the hell was that?" he muttered.

He didn't understand why he was angry.

Or maybe… he did.

And he just didn't want to admit it.