Chapter 86

**ARIA**

The room was small, the air thick with the scent of aged wood and lingering smoke from the inn’s fireplace. We sat around a rickety table, the candlelight casting flickering shadows against the stone walls. Despite the warmth of the fire downstairs, a chill clung to my skin—whether from exhaustion or the weight of the conversation, I wasn’t sure.

Caedmon.

I didn’t know what to think of him. He was charming, that much was clear, but there was something about him that unsettled me. He had helped Adam during the battle, but why had he followed us here? Why was he suddenly so interested in our community?

Austin’s arms were crossed tightly over his chest, his face locked in a scowl. Fares, sitting beside him, was equally unreadable, his fingers tapping a slow rhythm against the table. Adam leaned back in his chair, his usual air of indifference in place, but I knew better. He was watching, waiting—calculating.

“So, what do we do with him?” I finally asked, breaking the silence.

Austin scoffed. “We send him on his way.”

Fares nodded. “There’s no reason to bring him back with us. He’s a wild card. We don’t know his true motives.”

Adam exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “That’s exactly why we should bring him with us.”

Austin’s gaze snapped to him. “You want to bring him back?”

Adam shrugged. “He knows something.”

Fares let out a dry laugh. “Or he’s playing you, trying to find a way into our home. What if this is a setup? What if he’s just gathering intel on us?”

I glanced at Adam, watching as he considered Fares’ words.

“It’s possible,” Adam admitted. “But we won’t know unless we test him.”

Austin leaned forward. “Why take that risk?”

Adam sighed. “Because he’s an asset until proven otherwise. And if we push him away, we lose the chance to control the situation.”

I bit my lip, my fingers tracing invisible patterns on the worn tabletop. Adam made a fair point, but so did Fares. We had too many enemies to afford mistakes.

Fares exhaled sharply. “If we do this, we don’t let him out of our sight. Not for a second.”

Adam smirked. “I was thinking the same thing. Alex can organize close surveillance. If Caedmon so much as blinks in the wrong direction, we’ll know.”

Austin didn’t look convinced, but he leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand down his face. “Fine. But the second he gives me a reason, he’s gone.”

Fares stood, running a hand through his hair. “I need sleep if I’m going to deal with this.” He gave Adam one last pointed look before heading toward the door. “Don’t let your arrogance get us all killed.”

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving the three of us alone.

I let out a breath and collapsed onto the bed, the tension in my muscles catching up with me. “This day has been toolong.”

Austin took a seat at the edge of the bed, but he was still radiating frustration. “Speaking of terrible ideas, you never told me why you were alone with Ambrose.”

I winced. Right.

Adam ran a hand through his hair, clearly bracing himself for the incoming storm. “She wasn’t supposed to be alone with him. We got separated.”

Austin’s head snapped toward him. “And you left her?”

Adam narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t leave her. There was a battle going on, in case you forgot.”

Austin’s jaw ticked, but I cut in before the argument could escalate. “It wasn’t ideal, but Ambrose got me out of there. Though, if I’m being honest, I still don’t know if that was a good thing.”

Austin frowned. “What do you mean?”

I hesitated, then sat up. “The way he spoke to me… it was strange. He kept circling me like I was some kind of puzzle he was trying to solve. Flirting, in his own eccentric way.”

Austin’s expression darkened. “He what?”

Adam rolled his eyes. “You’re missing the point.”

“I’m not missing anything,” Austin growled. “Ambrose is dangerous. And you—” He turned to me. “What did he want?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But he knew who I was. He remembered Alessandro Scava. He was testing me.”

Austin shook his head, still visibly annoyed that I’d been in that situation in the first place. But before he could keep dwelling on it, I turned to Adam, watching him carefully.

I hesitated, then asked, “Was it hard for you? Being in that fight, with all that blood?”

Adam stilled.

For a moment, he didn’t answer. His gaze flickered, his jaw tight.

Then, in a voice quieter than I expected, he said, “Yes.”

I felt Austin tense beside me.

Adam ran a hand down his face. “I’ve spent a long time controlling it. But in a battle, with fresh blood everywhere… I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the pull.”

I studied him, the flicker of something unreadable in his expression. Vulnerability? Maybe.

Austin exhaled sharply. “You didn’t give in.” It wasn’t a question.

Adam met his gaze. “No.”

I didn’t know what to say to that.

Instead, I simply nodded. “Good.”

The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was heavy. Everything felt heavy. But at least, for now, we were together. Safe.

At least, for now.

The tension from our conversation lingered in the air, but as exhaustion settled over us, it slowly melted away. The room was dimly lit, the candle on the bedside table flickering with every small movement. The bed wasn’t exactly spacious, but we’d dealt with worse.

I slid under the covers first, sighing as my body finally relaxed against the mattress. Adam followed, stretching out beside me with a deep exhale. His usual cool confidence was softened by the quiet moment, his arm draping over my waist as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Austin stood at the edge of the bed, watching us with that familiar smirk. “You two are taking up all the space.”

I laughed. “It’s a bed, Austin, not a battlefield. You’ll survive.”

Adam made a noise of agreement but didn’t move, clearly unbothered.

With a dramatic sigh, Austin climbed in on my other side, the mattress dipping under his weight. “Fine. But if he steals the blankets, I’m kicking him out.”

I rolled onto my side, resting my head against his chest. His warmth was immediate, steady. Adam pressed closer from behind, his fingers absentmindedly tracing along my arm.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt safe.

No war. No prophecy. No ancient vampire lords or hunters lurking in the shadows. Just the three of us, tangled together in a mess of limbs and warmth, letting sleep take over.

Just us.