First message
Silk rustles around me as I adjust the crimson mask in the mirror, its edges catching the candlelight like a promise. The air is thick with anticipation, tingling like electricity just beneath my skin. Music and laughter drift faintly from the grand ballroom beyond, but I linger, savoring the moment before the curtain rises. Just as I turn to go, a voice cuts through the glamour—Octave’s, low and unmistakably disapproving.
“Valerian, are you sure this is the night to make an impression?”
I grin, spinning on my heel with a flourish. “Every night is the night to be unforgettable.”
He shakes his head, the faintest smile tugging at his lips. “Just don’t get yourself arrested.”
I wink as I pass him, the scent of perfume and danger trailing behind me. “Arrested? Darling, I’m the one who holds the keys.”