Chapter 37: Saint’s Disappointnt
The corridor was empty.
Lucian stood there for a mont, just breathing.
His ribs didn’t hurt anymore. That was good.
The book in his hands felt heavy. Important. Maybe the only thing that could buy Seraphina ti.
Four years.
I have four years to figure this out.
He started walking.
Made it maybe ten steps before his survival instincts kicked in.
Soone’s watching . He stopped. Turned slightly. And there she was.
Aria.
She stood near the intersection of two hallways. Not blocking his path. Just... there.
Waiting.
Her arms weren’t crossed. She wasn’t tapping her foot or glaring.
She just looked at him.
And her cheeks were puffed out slightly.
She’s pouting at ?.
Aria Lighthollow—saint, healer, the girl who probably rescues injured birds in her spare ti—is standing in the middle of the faculty corridor at dawn.
Pouting at him.
This is bad. This is so fucking bad.
The cute ones are always the most dangerous when they’re disappointed.
She closed the distance.
"Lucian." Her voice was soft. Quiet. "Can we talk?"
Oh shit. The chapel library sessions.
How many tis had she invited him? Three? Four?
And how many tis had he canceled because sothing else ca up?
Every. Single. Ti.
"I..." He tried to find words. "Sure. Of course."
She took a step closer.
Her expression wasn’t angry. It was worse than that.
She looked... disappointed.
"You’ve canceled three tis now."
Before Lucian could respond, another voice cut through the hallway.
Cold. Flat.
"You sll like her perfu."
Elira.
She stepped out from the shadows near a support pillar, ice-blue eyes fixed on him with that unsettling intensity she always carried.
Then, as quickly as she’d appeared, she lted back into the darkness.
Gone.
Lucian’s brain stuttered.
Oh fuck.
Not helping, Elira. Really not helping right now.
Aria glanced briefly toward where Elira had been, confusion flickering across her face for just a mont.
Then she looked back at Lucian.
She didn’t ask about the perfu.
Or neither about the wine-and-roses sll clinging to his clothes.
She just said:
"I waited two hours yesterday, each ti. I thought maybe you forgot. Or sothing important ca up."
She narrowed her eyes with puffing cheeks.
"But three tis Luciann..."
Lucian opened his mouth.
I have no good answer for this.
What was he supposed to say?
That he’d been investigating a conspiracy? Fighting shadow assassins? Dealing with bloodline awakenings?
She wouldn’t believe it.
And even if she did, it just sounded like excuses.
"I-I know," he said quietly. "I’m sorry."
Aria’s expression didn’t change.
Her cheeks stayed huffed.
She took another step closer. Close enough that he could see the hurt in her eyes even though she was trying to hide it behind that gentle, understanding expression she always wore.
"Tomorrow."
Not a question, it was a statent.
"Library. After classes." She looked directly at him. "We’re doing this tomorrow."
She didn’t wait for him to agree.
Just turned and started walking toward her dormitory.
Still pouting.
Her footsteps were soft but deliberate.
[AFFECTION DECREASED]
Aria Lighthollow: 25 → 20 Status:
Hopeful Interest → Hurt Confusion
Lucian stood there, watching her go.
Fuck, She’s actually upset.
A presence shifted in the shadows to his left.
He didn’t turn. He knew who it was.
"Aria waited two hours yesterday." Elira’s voice ca from the shadows.
"Don’t do that again."
Then nothing.
She was gone too.
Lucian stood alone in the corridor.
His ribs were healed.
Seraphina had four years to live unless he figured out how to help her.
Soone was trying to destroy his reputation and possibly his life.
And now he had an upset saint with puffy cheeks demanding his ti tomorrow.
He looked down at the book in his hands.
"I am so unbelievably fucked tomorrow."
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