Deric

I saw her.

Just a quick blur of dark curls and swaying hips as the hallway door swung slightly ajar, then shut again. But I knew it. The scent that followed hit me like a thunderclap. Mugwort, iron, wolfsbane… and something else, something dark. My heart stuttered in my chest.

Verya.

I moved before my mind caught up, pushing through the crowd in the corridor, ignoring the murmured greetings and sideways glances. My boots slammed the marble floor with purpose as I followed the path of her scent. I reached the door and burst through, into a dim service hallway that reeked of bleach. And there she was.

“Verya!”...