The sun hung low behind fractured clouds, casting a molten glow over the cracked road that wound east—toward the forgotten city of Virelia.
Ava stood at the edge of the cobbled path, one boot on ancient stone, the other on soft earth. Her black coat fluttered in the breeze, and her eyes shimmered with stormlight as she surveyed the horizon. The air buzzed with old magic—wild and reckless.
Behind her, her companions gathered their things. Sil adjusted the satchel slung over her shoulder. Adam was tightening the straps of his greaves, wings ruffling restlessly. Ash sat cross-legged, sharpening his blade with calm, steady strokes. Nicholas leaned against a tree, half-lidded eyes trained on Ava. He watched her the way a predator might watch a gathering storm—ready, but uncertain of its path.
They had spent the morning finishing a bounty quest—a small, cursed wyvern in a ruined village—and while the reward was modest, it wasn't enough to replenish their coffers. Ava had left her castle with only a small purse of coin, and feeding five mouths, plus one magical beast, was draining it fast.
She turned toward them. "We'll need another job before the week ends. Something more than slaying back-alley monsters."
Ash raised a brow. "You thinking guild-sanctioned, or something more... profitable?"
"Both," Ava said, smiling faintly. "But first, shelter. We're not camping in the open again—not tonight."
She looked directly at Nicholas and Ash, her tone dropping an octave. "You two. Find us a place—inn, campsite, I don't care. Just somewhere quiet."
Nicholas gave a lazy salute. "Come on, chains," he muttered, nudging Ash with a shoulder. "Let's go play scouts."
Ash said nothing, but his eyes met Ava's before he turned—sharp, dark, curious. Then the two men slipped into the trees.
Ava watched them go before turning to the others. "Rest. I'll call when they return."
Adam nodded and moved to stand watch near the road's edge, while Sil sat beneath a leaning pine tree, her eyes tracing the clouds.
Ava let her gaze wander toward the woods. Her thoughts burned with anticipation.
An hour passed.
Then, Nicholas emerged first—grinning. "Found a place," he said, his tone casual. "Half-destroyed manor about a mile from here. No one's lived there in decades. But there's shelter, and a working fireplace."
Ash followed, tossing a bundle of dry kindling at Ava's feet. "And there's a bath still fed by underground springwater. Hot."
Ava's smile returned. "Lead the way."
The manor was nestled in a half-forgotten glen, shrouded in vines and haunted silence. But the interior still held fragments of elegance—dusty chandeliers, cracked marble, ancient tapestries that fluttered as though remembering music.
They made camp in what once might've been a ballroom. The fire glowed warm, and after a modest meal, Ava stood and looked between Ash and Nicholas.
"You," she said, pointing to Nicholas, "come with me."
He raised a brow. "Just me?"
She turned to Ash. "You too."
The others didn't question. Sil and Adam remained near the fire, the beast curled near the door like a sentry of shadows.
Ava led the two men into a side chamber—a former guest suite. Moonlight filtered through the broken window, casting silver lines across the faded floor. There was still a bed, narrow but intact, covered in old velvet sheets.
She turned and closed the door with a whisper of wind. Then she stepped into them both.
Nicholas was the first to react—arms looping around her waist, pulling her in with a low growl of hunger. His lips found her neck, biting, tasting. Ava arched into it.
Ash stood still, tense, watching. But when her gaze flicked to him, demanding, he stepped forward and cupped the back of her head, kissing her deeply—fierce and unyielding.
They moved together, shedding layers of armor and tension. Ava let herself be touched, claimed—but never surrendered. Her fingers tangled in Ash's chains as Nicholas bit down her shoulder, her nails digging into their backs in return.
The bed creaked beneath them, but they didn't stop. Heat built between bodies, pressure mounting like a wave.
"You're mine," Ava whispered, voice rough.
Nicholas grinned against her skin. "Then command us."
And she did.
That night, they didn't sleep—they burned.