It was already past midnight when they reached the palace gates.
Nyx leaned heavily against Lucien. Her steps were slow and dragging, while her breath was filled with the sting of alcohol. Her arm clung to his for balance, her head occasionally dipping forward as though the weight of the world, and the wine, was too much to carry.
When her eyes caught sight of the palace, she hiccupped and frowned.
"Why’d you bring here?" she muttered, her words slightly slurred but laced with irritation.
Lucien, still guiding her with steady patience, glanced at her. "Don’t you stay here?"
Nyx pouted, her lips drawn downward like a sulking child. "I don’t want to live there," she murmured, "not with that man around."
Lucien slowed his steps, his voice quieter this ti. "Who?"
Nyx didn’t answer right away. She pushed herself off him with surprising resolve and swayed a little as she stood on her own feet. Her gaze, though hazy, locked onto him.
"Lucien," she said seriously, as if testing his na on her tongue. "Have you ever loved soone?"
He blinked. "No."
She stared at him for a mont longer, then sighed and looked away. "Then you wouldn’t understand even if I told you."
Another hiccup left her lips, and she turned to walk toward the palace. She didn’t make it far before she stumbled, her heel catching on the uneven stone. Lucien caught her quickly, one hand around her waist and the other was bracing her arm.
Nyx’s hands instinctively grabbed at his shoulders. She paused, her face close to his and her eyes unfocused but still searching.
They stared at each other. Or at least, Lucien did. Nyx looked like she was trying to process what was going on, her brows furrowed in mild confusion. Then, she suddenly giggled.
"You’ve got a serious face," she said, narrowing her eyes as if trying to see him better.
Lucien didn’t respond. He stood still, supporting her, unsure whether she was about to faint or break into more laughter.
Without warning, she poked his cheek. Then did it again, giggling harder this ti.
"You’re cute," she announced matter-of-factly, both hands now on his face, cupping it as if appraising a rare gem. "Your face is all... proper. Like a knight or sothing."
Lucien’s ears turned red instantly, but he was thankful for the cover of night. He cleared his throat, trying to mask his embarrassnt, but Nyx was far too entertained to care.
She gently tapped the tip of his nose with her finger and swayed again in his hold, still laughing softly to herself.
Then, from the shadows just beyond the stone path, a low voice broke the quiet.
"What exactly is going on here?"
Nyx froze mid-giggle. Her hands slipped down from Lucien’s face, and she blinked slowly, trying to place the voice.
Lucien turned his head, muscles tightening as his eyes saw through the dark. He was a vampire too. Actually, everyone in the the Kingdom of Vetheris was a vampire.
A tall figure stepped forward, cloaked in quiet authority.
Nyx didn’t need to see clearly to know who it was. Her mood sobered, just a little. She sighed under her breath and muttered, "Of course..."
"Nyx. " Her na echoed sharply into the quiet night, heavy with restrained anger. "Co here!"
Lucien paused, his hand still around Nyx’s waist. He looked up slowly agina, eyes narrowing as a man stepped out from the shadows, with his red eyes glowing faintly in the dark. There was no mistaking the threat in his voice.
Nyx froze. The mont she heard that voice, her drunken again, haze seed to thicken better. She curled tighter into Lucien’s hold and shook her head without turning around. "No... I don’t want to go with you," she whispered, barely audible.
Finn’s expression twisted. His eyes flicked from her to Lucien, and without wasting another second, he moved. In a blink, he was in front of them, grabbing Nyx’s arm and yanking her away from Lucien.
Lucien’s hand didn’t budge either. He held onto Nyx’s other hand, his grip firm, then t Finn’s glare without flinching.
"Who are you?" Lucien asked, calm but serious now, not the smiling stranger from earlier.
Finn’s face tightened. "Let go."
Lucien tilted his head slightly. "You should let go. She’s clearly said she doesn’t want to go with you."
Finn scoffed. "You think this is your business?"
"I didn’t think it was," Lucien said, "but I can’t ignore it when soone looks like they’re being dragged away."
The tension between them grew thicker. Finn looked like he could explode any second, and Lucien wasn’t backing down. He wasn’t posturing, just standing his ground. But before either of them could move further, Nyx stirred again. She swayed a bit before pulling herself between them, forcing Finn to take a step back.
"Don’t touch him," she said, her voice low but sharp. "He’s just helping .
Finn stared at her, stunned. His jaw clenched and his eyes were searching hers like he was trying to make sense of what she’d just said. But she didn’t flinch. Had she really given up on him completely? Why would she defend so other man like this? He didn’t like it one bit but he wouldn’t beg her either. And just like that, he let go of her hand.
Without another word, he turned and walked away. His back was stiff, fists clenched at his sides, but he didn’t look back.
Nyx watched him go, her chest tightening unexpectedly. This was supposed to be what she wanted. She didn’t want him any more. She didn’t want his voice in her head or his presence hanging around like a ghost. So why did it feel like sothing cracked inside her the mont he left?
She swallowed hard, pushing the feeling down before it could rise.
She turned back to Lucien. "Thanks," she said softly. "For bringing back... and for not being a jerk about it."
Lucien gave her a small smile. "It’s nothing. You looked like you needed soone."
"I usually don’t," she said, half to herself.
He didn’t press and just nodded, then turned slightly like he was ready to leave.
But after a step, he paused.
"Hey... do you think I’ll see you again?"
Nyx looked at him, like really looked this ti. The night had sobered her slightly, but her head was still spinning, heart even more so. And here Lucien was, nervous, not pushy and just waiting. A quiet and honest smile tugged faintly at her lips.
"We’ll see."
Lucien nodded and gave her a final look before turning away.
Nyx stood there for a mont longer, watching his back disappear into the dark before she finally turned toward the gates, steadying herself as she walked into the palace alone.
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