Chapter 7 : A Dance With Shadows
726 Words
The candlelight flickered against the polished marble floors as Devorah moved through the palace corridors. The halls were quieter at this hour, yet the silence carried weight—like an unseen force pressing against her. She had spent days carefully slipping into the rhythm of the Luminarian Dominion, weaving herself into its power struggles, yet tonight, something felt different.
She was being watched.
It wasn’t paranoia. It was a feeling that had followed her since she arrived. A whisper in the dark. A shift in the air.
Then, a sound.
Soft. Subtle.
Footsteps.
She didn’t turn immediately. Instead, she continued forward, her fingers brushing against the fabric of her cloak, ready—waiting.
Whoever it was wanted her to notice.
And she did.
---
"You're adjusting faster than I expected."
The voice was smooth, calculated. A presence just behind her.
Devorah turned slowly.
Kalen.
He stood in the shadows, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. Unlike Sean, who played his games in the open, Kalen was different. He watched from a distance, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Devorah met his gaze without hesitation. "You don’t seem like the type to lurk."
Kalen smirked, taking a slow step toward her. “And yet, here we are.”
A pause. Then, with unsettling ease, he asked, “Do you trust Crown Prince Sean?”
Devorah didn’t react. This was a trap.
"I trust that he knows how to play his game," she answered.
Kalen chuckled, though there was no warmth in it. "Clever. But cleverness won’t save you if you don’t know the rules."
She folded her arms. “Then why don’t you enlighten me?”
His smirk faded. “Sean doesn’t keep people around unless they’re useful. Right now, you’re interesting. But the moment you stop being that?” He took a step closer. “He won’t hesitate to discard you.”
The warning settled in the air between them.
Devorah held his gaze. "Then I’ll just have to stay interesting."
Kalen studied her for a long moment before nodding, as if confirming something to himself. Then, without another word, he disappeared down the corridor.
The message was clear.
She was valuable—for now.
---
That evening, a summons arrived.
A private gathering
Not the formal court, but a meeting of the Dominion’s most powerful figures. The kind of room where true power shifted behind closed doors.
When Devorah entered, the atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension. Conversations were low, measured. Sharp gazes flicked toward her as she approached, but one stood out above the rest.
Sean.
Lounging in his seat, his posture relaxed yet commanding, he watched her with an expression that was impossible to read. Beside him, a chair sat empty—deliberately placed closer than the others.
He didn’t say a word at first.
Then, slowly, he lifted a hand and gestured.
“Sit here, Devorah.”
Close.
Closer than she expected.
She didn’t hesitate. She moved forward, her expression cool, controlled. Yet, as she sat, she was acutely aware of the space—or lack thereof—between them.
The warmth of his presence. The weight of his gaze.
Sean tilted his head slightly. “You’ve been making an impression.”
Devorah met his gaze evenly. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
A smirk. “Depends.”
His fingers tapped lazily against the armrest. “You’ve proven to be more than just talk. That’s rare.” His voice was calm, but the undertone was unmistakable. A hint of something deeper. Amusement. Curiosity. Possession.
The others in the room watched, their attention shifting between them.
Sean wasn’t just acknowledging her. He was marking her presence.
It was both a gift and a warning.
---
As the evening continued, Devorah listened, measured her words, and spoke when needed. The conversations were sharp, layered with hidden meaning, each sentence a move in an unseen war.
But through it all, she could feel Sean’s presence beside her. The way he leaned in slightly when she spoke. The way his gaze flickered to her at key moments.
He was drawing her in.
Or testing how close she would allow herself to get.
By the time the gathering ended, one thing was clear:
She was not just an outsider anymore.
She was in the game now.
And there was no turning back.
- Writer
