Victoria's POV
Dinner was gone. Whatever illusion of normalcy we had tried to hold onto, it burned with him.
One moment we were laughing.
The next.
Ash.
The smell of smoke clung to the walls. It lingered in the air like a warning, reminding us that pretending the everything could be normal for a minute was stupid.
I stood there longer than I should have, staring at the dark stain on the marble floor where my guard had been. Where he had stood. Where something else had looked at me through his eyes.
My hand trembled slightly.
Lucien noticed.
Of course he did.
He stepped closer, his hand firm on my waist, pulling me just enough to ground me.
"Look at me," he said quietly.
I did.
His gaze was sharp. Focused. Protective.
"You're here," he added. "You're safe, I would never let a
