I haven't heard a single peep from Rosaria since I left the hotel on Monday; it's weird, welcome, but weird. The bracelet feels heavy on my wrist, and it's just one of the many constant reminders of her intrusion into my life. She left my magic turned on, and I haven't had any more freups, so it isn't all bad, just horrible.

  Mom and Dad are thrilled about the internship; it's all they've been talking about. Rising Star Industries and I think it's the first time Rosaria overpyed her hand. RSI is a household name; they have a stelr reputation, but that link also gives me something concrete to dig into.

  The Crimson Dawn was a phantom, mere words at the ball and not something I could trace in the real world, not when my contacts and sources were tightlipped. Now? With RSI, I have something I can dig into—links I can trace. It's my first concrete lead, and I'm going to make the most of it.

  I'm in a weird pce with the internship; it's going to look incredible on my resume. RSI opens doors, but I don't like the strings, implied or otherwise. Rosaria hasn't asked for anything, and I haven't signed anything, but my ignorance of her connection to RSI doesn't mean the rest of the community is.

  I haven't had any luck figuring out what this bracelet even is. I had a meeting with a new client yesterday, and she didn't comment on it at all. Is it invisible, or does it just not register to magical senses? That st part makes sense. Until it snapped closed around my wrist; I didn't even know it was there. Something that can block magic should hum, but the bracelet doesn't.

  If the past few days have made anything clear, it's that I'm more ignorant than I thought. Over the past thirteen months, I thought I was on top of everything, but my knowledge, understanding, and skills don't measure up, not in any meaningful way.

  I need to be better.

  Half the squad is sick, so we cancelled practice. The timing makes me suspicious, but if anything, I'm grateful for the free time. Rosaria is going to summon me tomorrow. Leon is coming to my office in two days, and for the first time in months, I have a lead on the Twilight Star.

  Which is why I'm on my way to the Botanical Gardens. It's just a quick trip on the metro and a few minutes of walking, and I can be there faster than I could drive there if I had a car. At least, that's what I tell myself; it makes the ck of a vehicle easier on my ego, especially since Madison showed up fshing her newly found wealth before betraying me.

  Unfortunately, Madison is in Greece, and that means she's beyond my reach. Not without help, and I'm not so angry at her that I'll throw everything away for revenge. Rosaria offered to send me to Madison, but that isn't an offer I can accept, even if she doesn't ask for anything in return, no matter how satisfying it would be to punch Madison in the mouth. I'd owe Rosaria, and we'd both know it. If I ask for help once, I might ask again and again. It's a slippery slope and not one I'm eager to start skiing down.

  It's raining today, and it's only supposed to get worse. The Weather Channel mentioned something about Hurricane Irene sending a rain system across the Northeast, but there's a hint of magic to the rain, so I have my doubts that's all it is. Someone may be taking advantage of the weather for their own benefit, maybe even a group of people.

  Until it becomes my problem, and I genuinely hope it never does, I'll take advantage of the weather and trust that it'll cause people to avoid the Botanical Garden; the fewer people around, the easier it'll be to search for the Twilight Star.

  I have my umbrel with me, and it will keep me dry even if I somehow end up in the ke; I created it to deflect water, and it does its job exceptionally well. It keeps the humidity out, too, so my hair doesn't frizz, ever. Some of the girls on the squad are dying to know my hair care secrets. They ughed when I said magic; it was their loss.

  The ke, hmm. That's actually worth looking into. A body of water is a reflection of the sky; what better pce for a star to be? And the water would expin some of the occlusion I've felt during my search. I might as well start there.

  One downside of the umbrel is other people. I don't need to have the umbrel open for it to function, but other people would undoubtedly find it weird if a dry woman walked out of a rainstorm. I don't need that kind of attention. The rain is worse; I can hear it hammering on the street above my head. As I step out of the metro and open my umbrel, people rush to their cars, but otherwise, the streets are empty.

  Perfect, that's what I've been hoping for.

  The gates to the garden are closed when I reach them, so an employee must have locked up; that's actually fine because they wouldn't have locked the gate if anyone was still inside.

  One click of my heels together ter, and I'm standing in front of the ke. That's one charge down; it's not an ideal use of my shimmer, but it was the easiest way to get through the gate. Maybe I should work on something to let me float or walk up walls next.

  There's no magic from the ke, and that makes me sure that something is going on. I can almost taste the magic in the rain, but I'm isoted from it. There should be a trace of something from the ke.

  My best bet is to dive in and get to the bottom of things. Well, not dive, not exactly. I clip my umbrel to my belt and start walking into the water; it parts around me. Being underwater like this isn't like swimming, and as it surrounds me, I'm pushed further into the depths.

  The ke is clear, so there's plenty of light, at least at the moment. Thankfully, whoever locked the gates left the floodlights on. I have glowsticks if I need them, but so far, so good. It doesn't take me long to get to the middle.

  Being down here's peaceful; there's nothing and no one, no noise, no problems, just me. Of course, that's when I bump into something solid; it's water, or at least has the appearance of water. That's interesting.

  It's rge, dozens of times rger than my bubble at the minimum. Something gives as I press my palm against it, and before I can even blink, I'm elsewhere.

  Whatever I am and inside the bubble is my best guess; it reminds me of a bubble bath, with small bubbles floating everywhere as far as I can see. It's honestly quite pretty. Magic is everywhere; there's enough of it; it feels like my hair should be standing on end.

  "My, aren't you a curious thing." The voice is melodious, and it feels like it's coming from all around me.

  Where?!

  I don't see anything, just bubbles, but that voice came from somewhere. Who or what is the real question? When in doubt, be polite because, unlike at the Gravesend Ball, there's not even the illusion of safety.

  "Good evening; I apologise for the intrusion." It takes a lot of effort to keep my voice steady.

  "There is no intrusion, only welcome. It has been quite some time since a mortal arrived here. Tell me, stranger, what are you searching for?"

  I still can't locate the source of the voice, but so far, it hasn't acted against me, so it's best to keep talking.

  "I'm Deliah Drake, and I come in search of the Twilight Star."

  There's a hint of breath on my neck as the voice says. "Is that so?" But as I turn, nothing is there, just chills.

  "Yes, with whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?" It's taking a lot of my self-control to keep from drawing my daggers. I have other options, but I'm intruding, and a show of force could end poorly for me.

  "The guardian of that which you seek, member of the Crimson Dawn." There's a sharp edge to the voice now.

  My heartbeat flutters for a second; whatever this being is, she, or at least the voice is feminine, can smell Rosaria's magic. I purged the mark she left at the ball, but maybe she senses the bracelet?

  "I'm not; the Crimson Dawn covets me, forced this bracelet onto my wrist through betrayal, but I owe them no allegiance. I am not sworn to them."

  No matter what Rosaria wants, yes, I'm tied to her in various ways, but nothing official, nothing permanent. I haven't even seen any paperwork for the internship. Galina will presumably have them for me on Friday if Rosaria doesn't have them when she summons me. Signing them would be a horrible idea; I don't trust Rosaria not to have something magical in the margins. Something I wouldn't be able to see before it was too te.

  "It has been some time since an Aegis was used in such a way, but you speak the truth. Come closer, little mote."

  Two pools of light, eyes, I realise a moment ter, almost wink into existence several feet away. Each eye is rger than my head, and that's concerning; coming closer might be my st mistake.

  Mote, though, of light? This being could be comparing me to the starlight I draw in. It isn't a bad one.

  Aegis, though, the word sounds familiar, but I can't pce it. If I only walk away from this meeting with the name of the bracelet, I'll consider it a success.

  "As you wish." I take a step, and then another towards the eyes, until I'm standing right in front of them.

  "Do you search for the Twilight Star for yourself, little mote?"

  "For now, there is an interested party who wishes for my aid in locating it. We intend to discuss terms in the coming days." It's tempting to keep it, especially now that Rosaria's interested in me. Adding the Twilight Star to my arsenal would only help me more now than ever. Leon is the real problem; if I refuse to aid him and keep the Twilight Star for myself, he'll try to take it, and then I might need Rosaria's help just to survive.

  "You covet the star, and yet you would part with it?" The voice sounds intrigued. I can't make out a body, just those giant eyes.

  "Possessing it would be a boon, but I would be better served by completing my current business." The next artefact or treasure that I get a lead on, I'm keeping, but my potential bargain with Leon depends on what he's willing to pay me.

  "You have come and asked for my treasure, the first to ask in many years and the first to answer my questions truthfully. The Twilight Stars is yours, little mote. Whether you keep it or not, it shall add to your consteltion."

  Consteltion?

  The eyes blink once, and a deep blue gemstone the size of my fist floats towards me. As I reach out and touch it, the giant eyes close as a fsh of light blinds me for a second, but I still see a single mote of light float from the Twilight Star into and into the Aegis, and the bracelet feels different, but I don't know how.

  Water starts rushing into the chamber we're in. "Wait! You didn't tell me your name!"

  The voice ughs. "You'll see me again, little mote, and I'll tell you then." The water wraps around me, and then I'm standing on top of the ke, and it's dark, and the rain is thundering overhead.

  I should probably get home. My cell phone starts bring with alerts, and I wince. Just how te is it? According to my phone, it's almost eleven. It's nearly my curfew, and I've been out of contact for six hours.

  I'm going to be in so much trouble, and I need to get home now; I can feel the Twilight Star now, and if I can, that means other people will be able to. I have to get it behind my shields, and soon before, someone decides to come and find it.

  ***

  Someone's been probing my shields a lot. There's been a steady ping ever since I brought the Twilight Star home; it could be Leon or someone else. I'll find out during our meeting tomorrow. For now, I've been enjoying simply having it in my bedroom.

  In a perfect world, tomorrow's meeting would be my only concern, but Rosaria is a much bigger problem than Leon. Now that csses are out for the day, I'm on edge, okay, more than on edge, tense, like I'm ready for a fight; who knows when Rosaria will summon me or to where?

  Before I have too long to stew in my anxiety, I'm barely off school grounds, but thankfully somewhere obscured, when I feel Rosaria's snap; she said she would summon me today, but Rosaria also said that there would be an invitation and proper clothes, and this is anything but, and I'm frowning even as I appear in a familiar lounge. I'm back in the same suite at the Atntis Grand. Wonderful. Only, there doesn't seem to be anyone here, though, and my frown grows. Out on the roof, maybe?

  Rosaria isn't anywhere in sight as I walk through the penthouse, and as I walk out onto the roof, she isn't there either. Did she summon me and leave, or can she summon me to wherever she wants? That's actually more concerning if true.

  Fine, I'll check out the bedroom that I woke up in the st time I was here. If Rosaria is waiting for me in the bedroom, I'm leaving. I'll put up with a lot, but not that. My fingers unconsciously wrap around my neckce, and I smile when I notice. So new, and yet it's providing a lot of comfort.

  Thankfully, the bedroom is empty too, of Rosaria at least. There's a dress bag hanging on the back of the door, with something behind it and an envelope sitting on the bed with my name on it; it reminds me of Morrigan's invitation. Formal invitation indeed.

  The wax seal is scarlet and features a single wave. I didn't have any doubt about who this letter came from, but it's interesting to see Rosaria's sigil for the first time.

  Deliah, my darling,

  Within one hour of opening this letter, I will summon you to our meeting. Shower, dress, and make yourself presentable—suitable cosmetics are in the bathroom.

  I look forward to our time together.

  Rosaria.

  Okay, so that was more what I was expecting: an invitation and clothes; the order of operations leaves much to be desired. It's honestly galling that Rosaria feels she has such dominion over me that she can just leave me a letter like that after teleporting me here.

  It's tempting to refuse her, to simply wait here until she teleports me to her location, dressed as a schoolgirl, but I don't know where I'm going or who else will be there. Embarrassing Rosaria would burn what little goodwill I have with her, and I can't afford to have her turn off my magic right now, not with my meeting with Leon tomorrow. That would be suicide. To be safe, I set an arm for 45 minutes from now.

  I can make myself pretty, but it will be for myself, not for Rosaria. I like to look nice, and I'm curious about what she left for me. My designer clothes are all second-hand, sourced from all over; some of them are knockoffs, but my cssmates can't tell the difference. Even my homecoming gown was a lucky find. Brand new, with tags on, just from st season, and luckily for me, it was perfect.

  Okay, so the bathroom here is incredible. I didn't use the shower when I was here st time; I changed as quickly as I could and fixed my makeup in the rideshare. It's a decision that I'm regretting right now. Two rainfall showerheads and endless hot water, or at least I haven't found the end of it.

  It's a shame that I can't spend more time in it, but I do need to finish getting ready. Plus, I really, really want to see what's in the bag.

  Reveal time.

  I almost drop the bag as I unzip it; there's a bck evening dress that's nicer than what I wore to Homecoming. This dress is worth thousands of dolrs. What else is there? There's a second bag from a high-end lingerie store, and a shoebox is sitting beside the bed that wasn't there earlier.

  Is Rosaria here somewhere and just keeping herself hidden?

  My phone's on the bed, and I gnce at the timer; there's time left, but not a ton; I spent too long in the shower. Ah, well, it was worth it. I'll do my makeup and keep my hair simple; I don't have time for anything too fancy. One benefit of doing makeup every day is that I have a lot of practice, and while whatever I do tonight isn't my day-to-day makeup, I can quickly recreate my homecoming makeup pretty easily. I assume Galina picked everything up; it's just weird to see items from my wishlist here. I don't even want to know how Rosaria got access. Madison, my parents or even Willow, any of them could have given it to her. RSI might be able to view my data metrics without any magic, thanks to the joys of modern technology.

  My timer goes off, and almost immediately as I feel the snap, a wave of heat washes over me. Even without the rain this week, it's cool during the day. Wherever I am now, it's te evening and warm, like summer. So, I likely moved a significant distance, but where? I'm going to assume a hotel, but it could be a penthouse; it looks expensive either way.

  I'm gd my phone is back in the hotel, even if it was accidental; who knows what the roaming charges would have been? Maybe I should look into a global e-sim or something for my phone in case this happens again.

  "Deliah, you look radiant." Rosaria's wearing a crimson gown that matches my dress perfectly; she looks incredible. Why couldn't she be less hot?

  "As do you; good evening, where ever we are." There's a hint of a question in my tone, but I deliberately don't ask. There's already too much of a power imbance between us for me to directly ask questions that I'll get an answer to soon enough.

  "The Dolli, but why don't I show you." Rosaria extends a hand to me, and I take it. It's really easier to indulge her, so I take her hand and let her guide me out of the suite and onto a balcony.

  "Is that the Parthenon?!"

  There's a lot of amusement in Rosaria's voice when she says. "Nominally, it's the Acropolis, but yes, Deliah."

  "You teleported me to Greece?" Madison and I talked about taking the trip together, two high school grads spending their summer before university travelling around; I can't even guess what hotel Madison is at, maybe even this one.

  I still can't believe she betrayed me so actively. It's been almost a week, and I keep getting distracted just thinking about it. It aches. Stupid crush, stupid fucking Deliah.

  "Your friend Madison made me think of it; you seemed interested."

  "We spoke about a trip, but that was at hostels—nothing like this." I assume most of this is her sales pitch, but there has to be more to it than that. "Rosaria, what is all this, honestly?"

  Her arms wrap around me from behind. "A taste, Deliah, of the life you could live. Not just the wealth but anything you want. Breakfast in Paris, Lunch in Toyko, and dinner in Italy. The entire world could be yours; all you need to do is say yes."

  I won't humiliate myself with a lie. Rosaria would see through it. It's a good offer, amazing, really, and that's all the more reason to decline. "Yes, I'm tempted, but you wouldn't be making this offer otherwise. I'm not interested in being tied to the Crimson Dawn or you." Okay, maybe a little lie. "Is this how you usually get mortals under your banner, or am I just special?"

  Rosaria's ugh gives me goosebumps, pleasant ones, and isn't that unwelcome. Being genuinely attracted to her is awkward, and I unconsciously rex in her arms before I force myself to tense. "Oh, so very special, but this is common, yes." She taps the bracelet, the Aegis. "You modified it, I'm impressed."

  Modified? It felt different after I touched the Twilight Star; after that, energy flowed into it. I haven't noticed any difference; my magic's been working like normal. Well, as normal as magic gets.

  "I'm afraid that I can't cim credit."

  The arms around me tighten, and I feel the weight of Rosaria's truth field wrap around me. "Is that so?"

  I was expecting it, so I can choose what truth to speak. "I don't like being compelled, Rosaria. We could just have a normal conversation." My tone is a little snappish, but I don't trust Rosaria; I shouldn't have to tell her the truth constantly.

  "You rarely tell me the truth, Deliah. When it comes to your bracelet, knowing the truth is important. If someone other than you and I altered it, that is a viotion of several compacts." Rosaria almost sounds sad, and that's so frustrating.

  Being in her arms is nice, and that's one of the many things I enjoy, and it's why she's so dangerous. "We aren't friends; I barely know you. If I say the wrong words, you could own me, and I would hate it. You're already dressing me." Controlling my time, my life! She's an unwelcome intrusion, and it's hard not to resent her despite my lingering crush. Actually, it absolutely is because of my lingering crush.

  I need to stop being attracted to her. Why are all the women I crush on so bad for me?

  "So tell me about your bracelet, Deliah."

  There's no sense of compulsion now, even with Rosaria pressed against me, and I wonder if it's a test, but I can tell her the truth. "The Aegis, you mean. I can't help but notice you've never called it by its name. I found the Twilight Star, and when I touched it, something went into the bracelet."

  "My, darling." The word vibrates through me, starting deep in my chest and radiating outward; it's more potent than the st time, and I gasp. Rosaria needs to tighten her grip to keep me from colpsing; so much for the upgrades to my earrings. Hopefully, the failure is limited to just Rosaria. "You continue to impress. Are you still keeping it as a bobble?"

  "I have a meeting with Leon tomorrow to discuss terms. It's the business we were discussing at the ball. He wants my aid in locating it, and I'll negotiate with him without revealing that it's in my possession."

  "Tread carefully, Deliah. Leon is much weaker than I am, but he would be formidable for you."

  That admission surprises me, not about their retive strengths, but that Rosaria sounds concerned, and if we're going to be honest without the compulsion, I should continue to be. "Wouldn't it work to your benefit if I got in over my head and asked for help?"

  "Of course, it would, Deliah. When you say yes to me, however, I want it to be an active choice, not a choice born of desperation." Rosaria seems genuine, but that could be part of an act—a false front to lure me in.

  I don't like lying to Rosaria, and I think that's just me, nothing from her. I have to keep so many secrets and constantly adjust my words depending on who I'm with. As I gnce out at the Acropolis, at Athens, I should be able to be Deliah Drake, girl, without any other considerations, at least for a little while.

  "This view is incredible, it, this dress, you, Rosaria. It's magic in an entirely different way than what we both do. If we were different than we are, just two women here, it would be a dream come true." A fantasy, but magic is very real and has consequences. A yes would be forever.

  "I remember when Athens was new; it was a different city then. Cities change, but people rarely do.

  That's an answer to one of the many questions I had, but it's also a little shocking. Athens is one of the oldest intact cities in the world; Rosaria is much older than I expected—no wonder she's so powerful and feared.

  "What's on the agenda tonight, stare at the stars?"

  Rosaria's ugh sends more pleasant goosebumps down my spine. "Dinner shortly, and perhaps some dancing. I promised Galina that I would get you home at a decent hour. We'll arrange for something longer during one of your shifts, perhaps a weekend away."

  I'm a sugar baby; that thought is uncomfortable, but it feels accurate. A woman is buying me expensive clothes, whisking me off to exotic locales, and taking me on dates. In theory, she's my boss, even if the reality is more complicated.

  "Is that a worry?" I have too much going on tomorrow to be tired, and that's just css.

  "Galina stressed to me your need for rest for your onboarding, and you'll need your wits tomorrow as well. We'll have other evenings."

  Hopefully, not too many; the part of me that likes Rosaria fluctuates. When I get caught up in everything in her, it's amazing, but I'm all too aware of the strings she's attaching to me.

  "Galina's thoughtful, that's nice of her."

  "She's the best assistant I've ever had; before I send you back to the Atntis Grand, remind me to give you her care package, some office wear for your onboarding. Galina sent it along with me."

  Okay, while we're on the topic of my internship, I might as well ask. "Speaking of, how serious is the internship? I really don't have time for it, Rosaria."

  I'm in cheer practice ten hours a week, sometimes fifteen, depending on how close we are to a competition. Add in my actual css time, homework, and a few family responsibilities, and I'm lucky if I get six hours of sleep a night. A client can make it four or less, but I typically try to do my homework between csses.

  "Galina suggested four hours a week, with the occasional evening." Rosaria's fingers dance across my arms. "Perhaps some overnights."

  "I'm not going to sleep with you." But the mental image is pleasant, if somewhat distracting.

  Her voice is flirtatious when she says. "There would be little sleeping, Deliah; we can talk about that another night. Our reservation is in fifteen minutes; it's a short walk from here. The staff is fully aware of my nature and the rger community; there will be no need to moderate our conversation."

  "Okay, let's go to dinner."

  ***

  Dinner was amazing, probably the best food I've ever had. Rosaria has been flirty but nothing uncomfortable; there's no real pressure outside of our power imbance, anyway. I'm having a good time, and that's the problem. Enjoying myself is the point, and it's so frustrating.

  "Could I interest you in dessert, Deliah?"

  It's early here, and that means it's te back home; I need to get to sleep eventually. If dessert is half as good as the rest of the food tonight, it's worth losing a bit of sleep.

  "I need to freshen up, but then I think that sounds nice."

  "I'll ask for the menu; hurry back." Darling remains unspoken, but it hums in potential like Rosaria is thinking it very loudly.

  This restaurant is busy and filled with more species than I can recognise; it's even worse than the Gravesend ball, and I'm getting just as many looks tonight, but some of them are sly.

  I'm washing my hands when someone walks up beside me, and I'm probably more surprised than I should be when I turn, and it's Madison.

  "Looking hot, babe, Rosaria has good taste."

  "What are you doing here, Mads?" I don't bother to keep the distaste out of my voice. I'm still angry at her.

  Don't punch her in the face, don't punch her in the face, don't punch her in the face. It's so tempting; I don't think I've ever wanted to hurt someone like this before, but she hurt me, and I want her to hurt.

  I know some of it's because of my crush; I'm taking her betrayal personally. Madison is taking care of herself, and maybe it isn't fair to hold it against her, but I do.

  "Dinner, obviously. I'm a regur here; you're in my backyard now, Dee."

  "And you just happened to be in the bathroom when I am?" I don't bother to keep the sarcasm out of my tone.

  At least she has the decency to look embarrassed, "Okay, so yes, I was watching you being cosy with Rosaria. You still haven't signed up; I'm impressed."

  I don't bother to keep the anger out of my voice. "It's this fucking bracelet you spped on my wrist. Rosaria can just teleport me anywhere she wants, anytime. She's in my life, Mads. Talking with my parents and Willow behind my back. I don't have time for this; people are going to get hurt, and it's going to be my fault for trusting you."

  Free time was rare before all of this; if cases start to slide, I might need to seriously consider quitting the team. I like cheerleading; it's important to me. I'm the fucking captain, but if my choices are to cheer or help someone, I have to choose to help.

  It's the right thing to do. I just hope it isn't necessary.

  "It wasn't personal; I miss you, Dee, so much. That part was true. If you sign up, we could see each other every day."

  She doesn't just get to say that, not to me. "If you were still in css, we would too. I need to get back to Rosaria; enjoy your life, Mads. You earned it."

  Madison grabs my right hand before I can move away, and for a minute, I swear she's going to kiss me because she leans in, but she just squeezes my hand. "You can't fight her forever, Dee. You can't win. Just say yes, and we could be together. However, you want."

  "Don't, Mads. It isn't fair." My voice breaks on 'fair'. I'm tempted to rip her hand off of me, but I can't, even if I should. I shouldn't be letting Madison hurt me this way; it's so personal; it's so much worse than I could have imagined. Madison has to know what she's doing; she isn't stupid, far from it. In some ways, she might be smarter than I am. She made her choice, and I'm fighting against choosing.

  "Dee..." Madison releases my hand and gives me a sad smile. "You should go, Rosaria is waiting."

  I don't look back at Madison, and I almost bump into Rosaria as I exit the bathroom, but I only flinch when she brushes tears out of my eyes. I guess I was gone too long, and she came to find me. Something about that feels nice, but I can't focus on it, not right now.

  "Deliah, are you alright?"

  Far from it. "I'm not, but it's fine. Sorry, let's just go back to our table." I can finish dinner, go home and sleep for a few hours. Hopefully, that will help.

  The bathroom door swings back open, and Madison is standing there, looking at us, and she takes a step back when she sees Rosaria. Definitely smarter than me.

  "Lady Rosaria, good evening."

  There's a hint of surprise in Rosaria's voice when she says. "Things become clear; good evening, Madison. No wonder Deliah is in such a state. I see you took my recommendation to dine here."

  The curtsey is deep, but that doesn't surprise me, not from Madison, not when it's to Rosaria. "Several times, thank you again for the recommendation. Running into Deliah tonight was a coincidence but a welcome one."

  Rosaria drapes her arms around me and rests her head on top of mine. It's pleasant. "We have a dinner to return to; I'm sure there will be opportunities for you to catch up in time."

  "Of course, Lady Rosaria. I should get back to my table as well." Madison's eyes linger, but she walks away after a long minute, and then I'm alone with Rosaria.

  "I did not know she was here tonight, Deliah."

  "Can we just go back to the table?"

  Thankfully, Rosaria walks me back to the table without saying anything else. I've barely sat down when a drink appears in front of me, a Vesuvius; I recognise the smell from the Gravesend Ball.

  "Drink deeply; it will help your nerves."

  Being away from here would calm my nerves, but after checking the gss, I drink because it's something to do right now. Some small bit of control because I'm holding the gss; I'm drinking as fast or slow as I want—only me. As limited as the choice is, as stupid as it is, I drain half the volume.

  The warmth settles in almost immediately, and it feels incredible. When I gnce up from the gss, Rosaria is looking at me with a warm smile, but it's like she's waiting for something, probably appreciation.

  "Thank you, Rosaria."

  "The dessert menu should be here in a moment; I wanted to wait for you before we looked."

  She barely finishes her sentence before a server shows up with two dessert menus. They must have been watching for us to return. There are plenty of options, but I'm not even sure what I want if anything. Besides, I have a drink, and I can have another sip or two. Okay, all of it. As soon as I set the empty gss down, someone repces it with a fresh one.

  Fuck it. I take another deep drink after testing the gss and smile at Rosaria. "What are you thinking for dessert?"

  The look on Rosaria's face is answer enough, but after staring at me for a moment, she says. "There's a cake I thought we could split if you're interested."

  "Sure." At least the drinks are helping my mood. Well, it's getting me drunk, but it's almost the same thing.

  "Deliah, what did Madison do to upset you? Even for you, you're unengaged." Rosaria sounds a little angry, and despite everything Madison did, I don't want Rosaria going after her.

  "I don't want to talk about it, but she didn't do anything."

  "Darling." The thrum almost knocks me out of my chair; I'm more than a little dizzy. "I won't hurt your friend; I'm just concerned for you."

  Rosaria isn't going to let this go; I can tell that much, and maybe talking about it will make me feel better. "She flirted with me and hinted we could be together." Okay, no, that didn't make me feel better at all.

  "Would you like that?"

  "It's complicated, but no. I can't be with someone who betrayed me." Especially not several times. If she misses me, that's her fault for leaving. I finish the second drink and roll my eyes when a third appears. Two is plenty; I can't have a third, no matter how tempting, so I nudge it over to the side of the table.

  Rosaria waves her hand, and the drink vanishes; I half expected her to tell me to drink it. "You continue to resist your desires, Deliah. Surely, you recognise that you're making yourself miserable."

  I have access to my magic, so I wave my fingers in a tight circle and scowl at her. With our privacy ensured, I can be honest.

  "Of course I am. Do you have any idea how hard this is? Not just Mads, but this, you and me." I motion between us with my left hand. "This is a fantasy. I'm not an idiot, Rosaria; staying independent is hard, almost impossible, but I'm going to do it. Saying yes to you would change my life in ways I can't even imagine." And some I don't feel comfortable even saying out loud. "And saying yes would be easy, so so easy, but it shouldn't be."

  For every problem signing up with Rosaria would solve, there are as many or more problems that I would have. Sure, money, school, and my parents wouldn't be a problem anymore; I would have access to almost limitless resources and knowledge, but Rosaria's enemies would become mine, and her wishes would be mine to fulfil.

  "There's nothing wrong with giving in, Deliah."

  "Of course there is; you would absolutely destroy me."

  Rosaria wouldn't hurt me; I'd still be Deliah Drake, but the version that she wants me to be. Whoever and whatever that would be.

  A server comes by and drops off a slice of cake with two forks, and Rosaria smiles at me when I roll my eyes.

  "The only thing I would destroy, Deliah, is the bed." The cake isn't tainted either; I'm checking to be thorough at this point, not because I genuinely think it will be contaminated. I try to ignore the mental image and instead take a bite of the cake and instantly blush when I moan. Okay, that's amazing—Caramel, chocote, and some kind of nut. "I take it that the cake meets your approval?" Rosaria winks at me and grins as I start to blush even more deeply.

  "It's delicious." And unsurprisingly, it's making me feel better; chocote always does. "Everything has been. I never thought I'd be here, in Athens; it was a fantasy; that's all backpacking was because it let me imagine more time with my best friend before we ended up at different colleges." My quiet field is still up, but that doesn't stop me from both gncing around and lowering my voice. "There are days I regret my magic, Rosaria, because it puts me in situations like this, but I would never change wanting to help people."

  Her right hand reaches out and cups my left before she says. "I'm not asking you to change, not in any meaningful way; if anything, I'm only asking you to be yourself, uninhibited."

  That makes it even more dangerous; sure, sometimes there are things I want to change or do differently. There's a running list at the moment, but what would my life be like without those regrets?

  I can almost imagine it right now; I could lean in and kiss Rosaria, just a brief taste of everything we could do together once we get back to the hotel.

  What would the harm really be?

  Rosaria's smiling at me like she knows what I'm thinking, and that makes me acutely aware of all the eyes on us right now, and that's like being doused in a bucket of ice water.

  No. I can't do that.

  I push the pte away from me. "I should probably get back home."

  "Are you sure there isn't something you'd rather do?" Rosaria squeezes my hand before her fingers start tracing up my arm.

  It feels good, but I'm doing my best to ignore that. Rolling my eyes is tempting, but I manage to resist the urge. "It's been a long day. Any temptations will have to wait."

  What I need to do is stop being stupid. Sure, I don't have a choice about the internship or Rosaria's ability to teleport me anywhere she wants, but I need to stop falling into the traps she's setting out for me. Dinner is one thing, but I can't let Rosaria dress me all the time. She's literally wine and dining me right now, winning me over, and I can't let her do it. Tonight is our third meeting, and every single one just highlights how big of a mess I'm in.

  "Oh, Deliah." Rosaria ughs; she actually seems delighted. "As you wish. If it's alright with you, I'll walk you back to the hotel and then send you back to the Atntis Grand."

  Teleporting directly from the table is rude, and it would be a shame to miss the view. It's not like I'll be back to Greece anytime soon, if ever.

  "An escort would be lovely." I'm not going to wander around a strange city by myself, not even on the verge of daylight.

  The eyes of the entire restaurant are on us as Rosaria stands from her chair, uses our connected hands to tug me to my feet and then escorts me from the restaurant.

  Being with Rosaria, being on her arm, always feels like coming home. I know it's something to do with her magic and just how dangerous it is, but even knowing that, the temptation is still very real.

  I'm feeling warm for some reason. Maybe I drank too much, but I don't feel drunk, for the most part, anyway, just warm. Is Rosaria doing something? If it was cold right now, I could understand it, but it’s not. Not even close.

  Fuck it, I'm just going to ask.

  "Did you heat the air? I feel warm." The heat's actually getting worse.

  "Dar." Rosaria cuts herself off, and the world shudders. Suddenly, we're standing on top of a nearby building, just in time for the street to explode where we just were.

  A familiar voice says, "Well, well, well. You're quicker on your feet than I expected, Rosaria." Meridia's suddenly standing on the roof with us. Of all the people I met at the ball, she's the st one I wanted to see again. "And you're with Deliah; how delightful. That saves me from having to find her myself. Lovely to see you, darling."

  There's a physical weight to darling, but unlike with Rosaria, my improved earrings block out the magic in her voice. I wasn't actually sure if they would, but so far so good. It's a relief; one thing has gone my way. I really don't need to be drunk off of Meridia's voice when I'm on a roof, let alone with Rosaria afterwards.

  A dozen cloaked figures use something like a shimmer to appear on the roof alongside us. Fucking wonderful.

  "Meridia, you're interrupting our date." Rosaria sounds bored, but she's a lot more powerful than I am. I think these odds are terrible.

  It's not a date; it's a business meeting at best. I would need to be here by choice for it to be a date.

  "I'm going to be interrupting more than that; we're here to kill you, Rosaria." Meridia grins at me, and it sends an unpleasant chill down my spine. "Don't worry, Deliah will be taken care of once you're gone. After some adjustments, anyway, there was quite the bidding war."

  Adjustments, yeah, right; more, like a whole new person. Rosaria's been retively tame so far, but then I'm not aligned with her; there are limits on what she can do to me. If I sign up, clothes and dates are going to be the least of my problems. Somehow, Meridia seems worse.

  I feel Rosaria snap her fingers, but unlike every other time, nothing happens. I'm still on the roof, and Rosaria immediately curls her arm around my waist. So much for an easy out, being back at the hotel and away from this entire affair. "Deliah is mine. You're vastly overestimating your abilities and those of your ckeys."

  Of course, that's when the hooded figures pull down their hoods, and I see a lot of familiar faces from the ball, but thankfully, no Attie or even anyone of her species. That's a relief. The one that stands out to me the most is Leon, and he wiggles his fingers when he notices me looking. "Miss Drake, I'm afraid I'll need to cancel our meeting. Or rather, you'll need to; you'll be quite unavaible. I'll need to find the Twilight Star on my own."

  What the hell is going on? Wait, Leon doesn't know I've already found it? That's honestly reassuring, and absolutely fuck him; I've been trying not to get too attached, but I have a few ideas for where I'll keep it now, assuming I get out of here alive. That's honestly up in the air right now. I don't like these odds at all; someone here is blocking Rosaria from teleporting me to safety.

  It feels like my shimmer is still avaible, though. So we should be able to get some distance if we need to. My wrist starts to ache, and that's when I realise the heat I've been feeling is coming from the Aegis. It started getting warm before Meridia attacked, but I don't have time to investigate that right now.

  Rosaria extends her left hand, and a spear or something simir appears. "If you all leave immediately, I'll forget about tonight; final offer." She sounds confident, and it's honestly kind of hot. Being here, pressed against her, the entire thing is thrilling. Three different people just vanished; that's less than I was expecting, but then they showed up tonight, so maybe they aren't as smart as I thought they were. "Deliah, stay beside me, I'll keep you safe."

  I might be out of my element, surrounded, overpowered, but I'm not a helpless damsel, either, and just because I'm in Rosaria's dress doesn't mean I'm unarmed, either. The Gravesend Ball revealed fws in my equipment and dangers I was unprepared for. I prioritised improving my earrings, and every single day since, I've been grateful. Rosaria's constant presence in my life and now Meridia showing up tonight has proven it was the right choice, but it wasn't the only change I made.

  Sunrise and Sunset have proven their worth dozens of times, but some problems sadly can't be solved by stabbing. I needed something I could use hands-free. It doesn't have a name yet; Halo feels inappropriate. I'm not religious, and I'm not going to wear it over my hair, either. Chakram has simir problems. I kind of want to stick with my space theme, but there are a dozen problems with the moon. Maybe something connected to a ring system?

  I'll have to workshop it ter, but for now, I grab my neckce, press down on the centre and smile as wisps of light start to swirl around me. I could use the wisps offensively, but they're fragile, and my neckce needs a lot more refinement. The sun isn't just a singur piece of light, and as the star blossoms before me and as my neckce floats over to the star and wraps around it in a ring, I stand a little straighter.

  I'm stronger than they think, I'm more than they know, and I'm far from defenseless.

  Leon's the only person on this roof that I even have a basic idea of what he's capable of. Meridia is the second, but Siren just tells me to worry about her voice, and I've already blocked that—I doubt it's her only trick, not if she's attacking Rosaria. Everyone else is a mystery; my best bet is to stay close to Rosaria and take advantage of opportunities in their defenses.

  "I see you've been holding out on me, Deliah." Rosaria sounds pleased, and as always, I get a small thrill from it. Sure, a lot of it's probably just to get on my good side, but it's still nice coming from someone like her. Besides, I got the idea from Madame Fête and her orbs. It's not an entirely original idea.

  "Can we hurry this along? I have css in a few hours, and my parents will be looking for me before too long." It isn't super te yet, but who knows how long this will go on for? I still need to get back to the Atntis Grand, change, and get home. Sure, Rosaria or Galina can soothe my foster parents if they notice, but I don't want to get into the habit of relying on them too much.

  Meridia's staring at me. "The only home you'll be returning to, my darling, is mine." I can feel her song, but thankfully, the actual effect is still blocked. "You really should have signed up with someone. Your loss and my gain, once Rosaria is out of the picture at least."

  "That isn't going to work on me, not anymore." Not tonight, anyway; if something happens to my earrings, then it might be an issue, but if something damages them, I'll have more pressing matters than a siren's song, like keeping my head attached.

  "I'm going to enjoy breaking you with my song, Deliah Drake." A pulse of energy from Meridia starts ripping the roof apart. Sonic, probably, but whatever it is, there's more magic flying around all of a sudden than glowsticks at a rave. I don't even know where to start, but thankfully, Rosaria does, and just this once, I'll follow her lead.

  Dancing with Rosaria at the Gravesend Ball was like ice skating, and apparently, combat is exactly the same; with her arm curled around me, she's directing more than dragging me around the roof. Every swing of her spear, nce, whatever it is, sends bolts of energy flying.

  My star is intercepting any stray spells that get near to me, exactly like I designed it to. It's tempting to send out spells of my own, but I don't want to interfere with Rosaria; she knows what she's doing a lot more than I do.

  The Aegis isn't burning me anymore, but it's still warm around my wrist, and the air around me is much hotter than it should be. Maybe it's from Rosaria and the others, just the high level of magic flying around, but my instincts are telling me that it's the Aegis.

  I just don't know why.

  Rosaria is dominating the battlefield, even with me on her arm, and outnumbered three to one. It makes me gd that I haven't given Rosaria a reason to attack me, and that's why, despite minor blips in my composure, I've mostly tried to remain polite. Angering her won't make things easier for me; whatever her interest in me is, Rosaria isn't just going to go away. For whatever reason, outside of the odd blip of her own, Rosaria has mostly treated me like a person. She's pushed my boundaries, invaded my life, and is tightening her control over me, but it's absolutely tame by the standards of what she could be doing. There's absolutely nothing stopping Rosaria from teleporting me somewhere and keeping me from leaving.

  As far as anyone would know, I just vanished. Another teenage girl who disappeared. 'She just broke under the pressure and ran away with a boyfriend. Absolutely nothing worth digging into, just another statistic. It's not like facts would matter, especially inconvenient ones like being gay. The only thing my peers would care about would be whatever would be the juiciest gossip, and the authorities would only care about closing the case.

  "Close your eyes, Deliah," Rosaria whispers to me suddenly.

  I'm not going to ask why, and it's a good thing because I barely get them closed before light sears my eyes through my eyelids, and I see spots. Note to self, add a light filter somehow. Yay, more projects. Maybe I should get another piercing to anchor a spell to. A cuff, maybe? My upper ear might work, and I could hide it pretty easily.

  There's some kind of thumping noise, but I'm going to keep my eyes closed until Rosaria tells me otherwise. Besides, I have sight beyond sight, and even as the theme song starts pying in my head, something that feels like razor wind shes out towards me; my star is already intercepting them, warping the space around it and slingshotting them back. I try not to smile at the scream of pain that follows; hurting someone isn't something to celebrate, but whoever I just hit attacked me first.

  "You little bitch!" I guess it was Leon; well, it isn't like he didn't have it coming. Okay, that feels a little good. He sucks so much.

  "What did you expect? I'm not just a pretty face. Even if Rosaria weren't here, I wouldn't just surrender to you. Live free or die trying." That's what this entire thing comes down to: my life, my choices. I can't live for anyone but myself. Maybe, someday, there will be a girlfriend to share my life with, but right now, it's just me, Deliah Drake, versus the world—a lone voice in the dark but a light for anyone in need.

  "You're slowing down, Rosaria, but who wouldn't with that anchor around your waist? Turn her over, and you can walk away!" That's Meridia again, and it's a btant lie, the walk-away part, at least. She's trying to drive a wedge between us. Honestly, I'm surprised the fight is even still going on at all. Rosaria's casual dispys of magic have put my best to shame; even outnumbered, I expected more.

  Am I dragging her down that much?

  My magic can't harm me; things get fuzzy outside of that. It's still energy, after all; someone pressed up against me, like I am with Rosaria, might still get some bleed-over despite my best attempts. It's also possible that Rosaria is trying to limit property damage; if she couldn't casually wipe out a city block, I'd be shocked.

  "You chose to attack us in a city I have some fondness for; that restraint is waning as I grow tired of this diversion." Well, the confirmation is nice and in a concerning way. I'm not sure what this building we're standing on is, but I assume it's occupied. Fttening it would result in casualties, and that's not something I want, not from the innocent. I'm a lot less concerned about the people attacking us.

  How can I protect everyone in the city, especially those in this building we're fighting on? I can barely protect myself.

  There's a sudden pull on my magic before I feel my star flowing into the Aegis. I open my eyes so I can see what's happening. My star is all but gone now, and it feels like my reserves are rapidly vanishing, too.

  What's going on?

  Rosaria flicks her spear to parry something that feels like boiling water, and instead of being parried, it flows over to me and into the Aegis, and it sings. A deep note vibrates the entire roof before the heat around me; the energy that's been building this whole fight wraps tightly around Rosaria and me before it sms into the rooftop, and our opponents are flying through the air like rag dolls as a second pulse of energy sears my eyes.

  The world feels quiet, as if everything just stopped. Everything except my heartbeat, but even that feels muted; I feel almost detached from my body. Magically, I'm running on fumes, so that's fun. I'd be utterly helpless right now if Rosaria weren't here, and being so dependent on her sucks.

  When I can finally see again, Leon's impaled on cones of golden energy, and even from here, I can tell he's dead, and he isn't the only one. Everyone except Meridia is down; she's unfortunately still on her feet, but thankfully looking worse for wear, but standing and scowling, and it feels directed at me, specifically. She's ringed in bck, magic, maybe?

  "You worthless gutter trash, you ruined everything! I won't forget this Deliah Drake." And then Meridia vanishes. Wonderful. This is what I've been trying to avoid! Maybe she's just angry and won't be a problem or anything after tonight. Yeah, right. I'm going to need to be careful going forward, more careful. Who knows what the consequences of tonight are going to be? Leon's dead, and he's one of the more powerful entities back home; he isn't...he wasn't on Morrigan's level, but his death is going to change things, especially if people know that I was involved.

  "Deliah?' Rosaria's voice sounds far away, but she's right beside me. I can't move my head to look at her, though. The darkness that was surrounding Meridia is worse now, almost filling my vision, so it wasn't her.

  I feel cold.

  Is this what dying feels like?

  "Darling?" Even the thrum feels far away despite coming from within me, and then I'm aware of Rosaria ying me down on the roof, and she croons at me. "You're so empty, Deliah, dangerously so—the things I could do to you, the things you would beg for, it's all so very tempting, but I won't force it on you, not yet." She leans down and presses her lips to my forehead. There's a tingle, and some of the encroaching darkness fades. "A temporary boost; open yourself to the stars, Deliah. While you still can."

  My thoughts still feel sluggish, my body heavy, but whatever Rosaria just did, I feel more aware. My reserves are embers, and they're fading, and I'm fading with them.

  "Darling." Even the thrum feels weaker now. "I can only help you more if you say yes to me. Be mine, Deliah Drake, and I'll be able to save you."

  Save me? If I could ugh, I would. Being Rosaria's girl, whatever that means, whatever being under the banner of the Crimson Dawn would be like. I wouldn't be saved. A version of me would continue living, but I wouldn't be the same person.

  Would Rosaria actually let me die? A rge part of me wants her to; all my worries would be over; it sounds peaceful. The rest of me is divided; giving in would mean survival, and I really don't want to die, but I don't know if I can find the stars right now. Rosaria might be my only hope, and that sounds peaceful, too, surrendering to her, but it isn't what I want.

  What surprises me the most right now is that Rosaria isn't being more forceful. She could be trying to talk me into surrendering, but she isn't. Rosaria gave me enough of a boost to give me a chance, but the rest is up to me.

  When I was on the roof of the Atntis Grand, the stars felt closer than ever; right now, even on whatever this roof is, I feel further away from them than I've ever been. I need to open my connection to the stars; ever since I created my first focus, the stars have sung to me and leapt out eagerly to meet me. Tonight, it's hard, even harder than my very first time, and after what feels like an eternity, my connection sputters to life.

  The energy is usually soothing; tonight, it feels like it's ripping me apart from the inside; it's taking every ounce of my willpower to keep from screaming. Rosaria's looking down at me, and the dark halo of energy in my vision is fading; I watch as she reaches out and brushes my hair out of my face. "Keep your connection open until your strength returns, Deliah. I'll take care of you."

  I don't have a choice but to accept her help. Right now, I can't even move a finger, and I'm on a roof with a bunch of dead bodies in a country I'm not supposed to be in. Sure, I have a passport back at home, but there's no record of me entering the country. Being discovered right now is the st thing I need.

  For just a minute, two rge, familiar eyes pop into existence in front of me before everything goes bck.