After the call ended, Seraphine sat there for a long mont, just staring at her phone in silence. She wasn’t mad or anything like that. If anything, a quiet kind of sadness settled over her.
From the way Vladimir had spoken, it was obvious there’d been a real blow-up between him and Voren. The man had sounded pissed off, frustrated as hell, and dead set on getting his point across.
But even with all the sharp words and insults, Seraphine couldn’t bring herself to hate him. She leaned back in her chair and let out a long, soft sigh that seed to carry the weight of the whole conversation.
If she tried to see it from his side, she could almost get where he was coming from. Parents always think they know what’s best for their kids, right? Sotis they’re spot on, but sotis, they’re way off base.
But deep down, she knew that such reactions at most tis cos from a place of real love. At least she hoped that’s what was driving Voren’s parents.
Maybe soday they’d actually get to know her. Maybe they’d look past the fact that she used to be Ravyn’s wife and see her for who she really was, soone who loved their son with everything she had.
The thought brought a small, hopeful smile to her lips. For now, that little spark of possibility was enough to hold onto.
She pushed the heavy conversation out of her mind and stood up, focusing on sothing she could actually control. Food.
The mouthwatering slls of food were already drifting through the kitchen, wrapping around her like a warm hug. She took her ti plating everything beautifully, setting each dish out with care on the table.
She added a bottle of wine, then hunted through the cabinets until she found so pretty decorative candles. After everything they’d been through, a romantic little candlelit dinner felt like exactly what they both needed.
Seraphine started placing the candles around the room, humming softly to herself, when she suddenly stopped. "Oh," she murmured, blinking as realization hit.
Voren had ntioned he was bringing the shaman. A full-on romantic setup with flickering candles suddenly felt way too much. She let out a soft laugh at herself and quickly removed them.
Still, she couldn’t resist tweaking a few things—moving so fresh flowers closer to the table, softening the lighting, and adding little touches here and there that made the space feel cozier and more inviting.
Not overly romantic, just warm and welcoming. When she finally stepped back to look at it all, a satisfied smile spread across her face. It looked perfect.
A short while later, the hidden door opened, and relief washed over her like a wave. She hadn’t even realized how tightly wound she’d been until that exact mont.
The second Voren stepped inside, her whole face lit up with a bright smile. "You’re back," she breathed, crossing the room in a rush and throwing her arms around him. The mont he hugged her back, all the tension in her body lted away like it had never been there.
"I was actually calling to tell you dinner was ready," she said warmly, her voice muffled against his chest. "But I didn’t realize you’d left your phone with your dad."
Voren frowned right away, the ntion of his father instantly souring his mood. "I didn’t leave it with him," he said, his arms tightening protectively around her waist.
"I stord out while I was still pissed. He must’ve picked it up after." He pulled back just enough to look at her, his eyes filling with concern. "Did he say anything that hurt you?"
The question pretty much confird everything Seraphine had already guessed. She gave him a gentle smile and slowly shook her head. "No."
That single word seed to ease so of the tightness in his shoulders. Seraphine squeezed his hand softly. "Let’s eat."
She started toward the table, but Voren suddenly rembered. "I brought the shaman."
Seraphine stopped mid-step. "Oh Goddess," she laughed, the sound light and surprised. "I almost forgot." Her gaze flicked toward the entrance. "Then she should definitely join us. There’s more than enough food for three."
Voren didn’t argue. The shaman had just finished a long ditation session and was probably starving. A few monts later, he stepped aside to let the woman in.
The second Seraphine laid eyes on her, she blinked hard, then blinked again. Her mouth fell open, closed, then opened once more in pure shock. The reaction made Voren grin with amusent right away. "What’s wrong?"
Seraphine pointed, her voice full of disbelief. "She’s... a shaman?" Every single image she’d ever had of shamans shattered in that mont.
She’d been expecting animal bones, mystical jewelry dripping with aning, painted symbols, colorful robes, maybe even a giant staff for dramatic effect.
Instead, the woman standing there looked surprisingly normal, elegant, even. She wore a simple white dress, no weird markings on her skin, no ceremonial paint on her face.
Her silver hair was neatly combed back, and aside from the deep, unusual wisdom shining in her eyes, she could’ve been any respectable older woman strolling through the streets of Manhattan.
Voren chuckled, his eyes sparkling. "Yeah. But trust , her abilities are gonna blow you away."
Seraphine still looked unconvinced. She glanced at the woman again—no feathers, no bones, no dramatic magical accessories in sight. She let out a sigh. "Okay. If you say so." A reluctant smile finally tugged at her lips.
The shaman simply watched the whole exchange with a calm, patient expression, like she’d seen reactions just like this a hundred tis before and it didn’t faze her one bit.
Voren guided everyone over to the table, then rembered the introductions. "Shaman," he said, gesturing proudly toward Seraphine, "et our future Luna." The pride in his voice was impossible to miss. "Sera."
A rush of warmth spread through Seraphine’s chest. She stood up right away. "It’s nice to et you," she said with a genuine smile, extending her hand.
The shaman looked at the offered hand, but instead of shaking it, she stepped closer, much closer. Seraphine frowned a little in confusion. Before she could even react, the older woman gently placed her hands on Seraphine’s head.
The whole room went dead silent. A strange, ancient language started flowing from the shaman’s lips, words that neither Voren nor Seraphine understood.
They sounded powerful, unfamiliar, and sohow tiless. The temperature in the room seed to change, and a faint breeze stirred out of nowhere. Seraphine froze in place as goosebumps raced up her arms.
The shaman’s eyes closed, her face turning serious, more serious than either of them had ever seen. Long seconds stretched out. Then her eyes suddenly snapped open, all the warmth gone from her expression. It was replaced by deep concern.
"A white witch used black magic on you."
The words hit the room like a thunderclap. Seraphine’s blood ran ice cold, and every bit of color drained from her face. Voren stepped forward instantly, his protective instincts flaring up fiercely. "What?" His voice ca out sharper than he ant, worry flooding his eyes. "What the hell is that supposed to an?"
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