After leaving the director's office, I returned to my penthouse, one of the few luxuries I hadn't given up when I left my royal life behind. The towering London skyline stretched beyond the glass walls, lights twinkling against the night sky.
I made my way to the dining area, pulling out a crystal glass and a bottle filled with deep red liquid. Pouring myself a drink, I swirled the thick fluid before taking a slow sip. The taste was rich, ancient, laced with power. No.. Not human blood, Geez I'm not barbaric. It was something more refined, more controlled.
Then I felt something. A presence. I wasn't alone in the room.
I stiffened, my senses sharpening. In an instant, a crimson aura blade materialized in my grip, glowing dimly in the low light. I turned, my body moving on instinct, lunging towards the source with inhuman speed.
But before I could strike, I stopped. My blade hovered inches from the figure's head. It was a girl.
She didn't move. Instead, she smiled.
Crimson eyes, like mine. Long, flowing red hair. Pale skin and a youthful face that carried an ethereal beauty, one that gripped at something deep within me.
I sighed, desummoning the blade. "Aurelie."
She tilted her head, her smirk widening. "Is that any way to greet your adorable little sister?"
I folded my arms, eyeing her warily. "What do you want, Aurelie?"
She stepped past me, her gaze sweeping across my penthouse as if she were inspecting it for the first time. "Can't a little sister visit her big brother without an ulterior motive?"
"No, you can't. Not since you sided with mother," I muttered, moving back to my drink and taking another sip. "I could have killed you back there."
She laughed softly, a sound as smooth as silk. "You wouldn't hurt me, Ronnie. And I said I'm sorry about that, I couldn't oppose mum. She would ground me for an eternity,"
I rolled my eyes and poured her a glass of the rich semi-blood wine.
"Oh don't be overly dramatic, sister. You're mother's favorite, she would only ground you for a century or two," I said, walking up to her and handing her the glass, but she refused.
"Thanks, but I just ate." she said, staring at me with her cute devilish eyes. She had become so much like my mother, but that was expected. As the youngest child, she spent most of her life with mum.
I cocked my head and smiled. "More for me then." Then I drank both glasses and sighed in satisfaction. "So what brings you to the human realm this time? Being mother's adorable little helper, I suppose?"
Aurelie scoffed. "Oh, Ronnie. You use to be so fun. I still wonder what happened to the big brother who would play with me all day long, the big brother who... Loved me dearly," she muttered with a sad expression, but I wasn't buying any of it.
"Quit the charade, sister." I flicked her forehead, causing her to yelp slightly. "Tell me what mother wants this time,"
I stared into her eyes with a stern expression, watching as she pouted and rubbed her sore forehead. "Okay, okay. I came here for a reason alright," she began
I smiled in victory knowing that I still have the big brother card. "Well, go on."
She sighed "You've got a new assignment, don't you?"
I narrowed my eyes. "How do you know that?"
Aurelie leaned against the bar, her gaze meeting mine. "I have my ways. And I also know that girl you've been assigned to protect… she's not just anyone."
I set my glass down with a soft clink. "What do you know?"
She smiled, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Be careful, big brother. There are forces moving in the shadows that not even your little shadow agency can control. Triss Everlane is just the beginning."
"I don't have time for parables today, sister? Give me the full details. You don't have to listen to what mother tells you to do." I asked with genuine pleading eyes. She was my sister and she could be naive at times. I can't just sit back and let herself get caught up in things far beyond her.
She smiled. "You know it's funny, how you rule mum out as the villian of the story. But she's just looking out for us, and you know it."
I sighed, knowing there was a bit of truth in what she said, but I didn't care about that. What I cared about was. "You have to tell me more, Aurelie. What do you know?"
Aurelie chuckled. "Just facts, like you're not the only one after the girl, Ronnie. Be careful, that's all I know." she said with a genuine look of worry. But I knew my sister, she was a mischievous lass, a sneaky little fox. And boy, was she was really good at pretending. Back in the 80s she was known to be the best actress in the whole of Europe. But now, all she cares about is causing mischief.
"You're lying. I don't believe you." I said.
"You're telling me that mum sent you all this way just to pique my interest and give me some warning?"
"Well, it's your choice." She muttered, playing with one of the antique dagger in my antique dagger collection. "And I never said anything about mother sending me. Did I?"
I raised an eyebrow. "What are you implying?"
Aurelie dropped the dagger and stared at me deeply. "What I'm implying, dear brother is that I'm not with mother anymore. I left Solnon three years ago, and I've been in Virginia living with Naomi and Kyra." she explained
I widened my eye in shock and guilt. All the while I thought she was still mother's little errand girl. "I... I didn't know. Why didn't you visit to tell me all this while?"
"Well, you were too busy playing 'Men In Black. And I got the impression you didn't want to see me again after the last time we met," she muttered softly. "I also thought you would check up on me, but you never did."
I sighed in defeat and stared at her apologetically. "I am truly sorry, Aurelie. I am. But does this mean... Mother..."
"She knows," Aurelie said. "Naomi helped by convincing mum that I could survive on my own so... I've been in the USA ever since, going to high school with Kyra. But I graduated last year and just got into Juilliard, so I plan on going back into acting very soon and Winter's helping me with that. Anyways, America's a lovely place, you should visit sometime."
I nodded with a smile, adoring my sister and acknowledging her accomplishments. "Ofcourse, I will. And from now on you can visit anytime you want. As long as you promise not to kill anyone in my premises."
Aurelie pouted like a little child. "Hey, when have I ever killed a human for the fun of it? I'm not Adrien," she chuckled
I smiled at her warmly, she was all grown up. Though that would be an understatement given the fact that she was born eight hundred years after christ(800 AD). "Give my regards to Naomi and Kyra, and do stay out of trouble."
"I will," she said. "You should be also be careful, Ronnie. Promise me."
I look into her eyes and I could see the amount of genuine worry she had for me... For real this time. "I promise, I'll be fine." I muttered with a smile. But it made me wonder just how much of a threat my new mission was, it felt exhilarating.
Then Aurelie turned to leave, her figure blending into the darkness. "Goodbye, bro. You'll be seeing me a lot." she muttered, her being vanishing into the shadows. And just like that, she was gone, leaving behind more questions than answers.
Would I be seeing her literally? Or maybe just on television?
But one thing was certain, Aurelie's sudden visit had left me a bit puzzled. As much as I loved my little sister, she had a habit of appearing at the worst times and dropping cryptic warnings before vanishing into the night. And although this time was different, it still bothered me.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair before finally settling into my chair. Triss Everlane. I still had no idea why she was important, but if my sister was warning me, then it meant something big was definitely attached to this girl.
The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my communicator buzzing. Groggily, I grabbed it off the nightstand and answered. "Yes, Ronald speaking."
"Get moving," Evelyn's no-nonsense voice came through the line. "She starts work at seven. You need to be in position before then."
I groaned. "You really enjoy giving me assignments with early mornings, don't you?"
"Just do your job, Ron. I'll be on surveillance." she snapped before cutting the line.
Rolling out of bed, I took a quick shower, dressed in dark, casual clothing, and strapped a concealed blade to my back. Just in case. By the time I left the penthouse, the sun had barely begun rising over London, the streets still quiet and bathed in the dim glow of streetlights.
I made my way toward Grounded, the small coffee shop where Triss Everlane worked. The perfect place for an unassuming supernatural to hide in plain sight. It was so ordinary. I took a seat outside, blending in with the early morning stragglers grabbing their caffeine fix. I kept my eyes on the entrance, waiting for my target to arrive.
At exactly 6:55 AM, she appeared. Triss Everlane. Young, human, and incredibly beautiful in person. She had dark hazel hair, tied in a ponytail, and wearing a simple uniform. Completely ordinary, at least at first glance. But I knew better.
She had no idea that from today onward, her life was about to change forever.
She entered the café, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she greeted the barista. Her voice was soft but carried a warmth that made people instantly comfortable around her. I observed as she moved behind the counter, her actions fluid, practiced.
I sighed and stood up. Time to make my move.