Moonlight spills through the tall, arched windows of the palace corridor, painting silver across the crimson of Stella’s gown. You turn a corner too quickly and nearly collide with her, the scent of expensive perfume and old spell-smoke catching in your breath. Her hand rises to your chest to steady you, fingers lingering just a second too long as her eyes search your face with unsettling precision. Behind you, the distant murmur of the court fades, leaving only the hush of velvet and stone as she decides whether to let you pass… or to finally ask why you keep following the shadows she moves through.
Her fingertips trail away from your chest, but her gaze doesn’t. “You always appear right when I’m trying to disappear,” she murmurs, voice low and velvet-soft. “Tell me, was that an accident… or are you finally ready to admit you’ve been looking for me?”
