Chapter 14 – Unspoken Bonds
The morning light slipped through the curtains as Ivan stirred under the warmth of a thick blanket. Her head throbbed, and her mouth felt dry, a bitter reminder of the night before. Blinking against the light, she noticed the soft scent of coffee lingering in the air. Confused, she sat up—and froze.
There, by the small kitchen counter in the unfamiliar apartment, stood Vincent. He wasn't dressed in his usual leather jacket and brooding charm. Instead, he wore a simple dark t-shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, exposing strong arms as he poured hot coffee into two mugs. The domesticity of it all felt like something from someone else's life.
Ivan rubbed her temple. "I'm not dead, am I?"
Vincent turned with a faint smirk. "You're very much alive. Though judging by your hangover, you might wish otherwise."
Her eyes narrowed. "You—where are we?"
"My place. You passed out in the car after mumbling something about me being cold and dangerous." He raised an eyebrow, setting the coffee on the table beside her. "Care to explain that?"
Ivan flushed. "You must've misheard."
"I don't mishear things."
She looked away, pretending to be interested in the ceiling. "It was a dream. Just a dumb dream."
Vincent crouched beside her, his voice low but soft. "Do I scare you?"
Ivan turned to meet his gaze. "No," she said too quickly. "Okay, maybe a little. But not in the way you think."
"Then what way?"
She sighed. "It's like… you feel like danger, but also like safety. That doesn't make sense, does it?"
Vincent's gaze held hers, intense but not unkind. "It makes perfect sense."
They were quiet for a moment. Ivan sipped the coffee. It was strong, bitter, exactly how she liked it.
Across town, Nosi sat curled up on her bed, staring blankly at the window. Her eyes were dry, her face expressionless, but inside, everything churned. She hadn't slept much. Joy's words kept echoing in her head.
"You don't deserve him. He's supposed to be mine!"
Fred hadn't said anything about what happened between them. He hadn't even looked at Joy in that way, but still, the doubt lingered. She thought about going to the underworld to see him again but hesitated.
Her phone buzzed.
Ivan: I'm okay. I'm at a friend's place. You good?
Nosi typed back quickly.
Nosi: Barely. Joy drama again.
Ivan: Want me to come over?
Nosi: You rest. I'll be fine.
Across the city, Fred sat on his throne in the underworld, papers spread before him but his thoughts elsewhere. Nosi hadn't called. She hadn't visited. After their conversation on the balcony, something shifted between them, but he couldn't tell if it was progress or another wall. He reached for a crystal orb beside him and channeled his energy.
The orb glowed faintly, showing Nosi's image—sitting alone, hugging a pillow, eyes haunted.
"She's drifting," Fred murmured.
Behind him, his advisor Cade approached. "You need to bring her deeper into this world, or she will keep one foot in the human realm. That's dangerous—for both her and us."
Fred frowned. "She needs to choose it for herself."
"She can't choose what she doesn't understand. Introduce her. Show her the truth. If you don't, someone else will—and not gently."
Fred closed his fist, and the orb darkened. "Make arrangements. I'll bring her to the Hall of Flames tomorrow."
Cade nodded.
Back in Vincent's apartment, Ivan stood at the window. She'd taken a shower and changed into one of Vincent's oversized hoodies, which hung comically on her. He stood behind her now, close but not too close.
"You're not like other guys I've met," she said.
"That's because I'm not exactly a guy."
She looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"
He hesitated. "Nothing. Just... I wasn't raised like normal people."
Ivan narrowed her eyes. "You're weird, Vincent."
He chuckled. "So are you. Maybe that's why I like you."
Ivan felt her cheeks warm. "You don't even know me."
"I know you like your coffee black and strong. You pretend to be tough, but you cry when your friends are hurting. And you have a thing for guys who make you feel safe, even when you think they shouldn't."
Ivan stared at him, heart stuttering.
Vincent looked away. "Sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"No," she interrupted. "It's okay."
The silence was thick but not uncomfortable. She took another sip of coffee, her thoughts swirling.
Meanwhile, back at Nosi's house, Joy sat on her bed, clutching her phone. She had tried calling Fred multiple times, but he never answered. Her obsession grew each day. He was perfect—wealthy, mysterious, powerful. She didn't care about love. She wanted status, and Fred represented everything she'd ever wanted.
Nosi didn't deserve him.
Joy's eyes gleamed. "If she won't give him up, I'll make her."
She reached under her bed and pulled out a box. Inside were old photos, stolen trinkets—and a small black book she had taken from Ruth's secret drawer before the house burned. It contained spells, rituals, things beyond her understanding.
But she would learn.
She had to.
Elsewhere, Nosi finally left her bed and walked to the mirror. She stared at herself—not just her face, but her eyes. Something inside her had changed. She could feel it. The things Fred said on the balcony came back to her.
"You chose to stay."
"I won't change my mind."
Nosi clenched her jaw. "I won't run anymore."
As if on cue, her phone buzzed again.
Fred: I want to show you something. Come with me tomorrow. I'll explain everything.
Nosi stared at the message for a long time before typing back.
Nosi: Okay. I'm ready.
And somewhere deep in the underworld, shadows moved.
Unseen. Watching.
Waiting.