Chapter 2

That same day, I went to the guild and borrowed a large batch of high-grade elixirs in one go, cut off all family shipments, and moved out of the Court's shared dormitory into a private estate under the Ashveil name.

Everything ran off existing stock, no outside channels. No route for Talia to collect.

Only the hollow feeling in my chest was still there — like a draft through a gap that never got sealed, air coming in wrong. The curse wasn't broken yet. This wasn't over.

Three days later, I ran into Talia and Cael in the outer corridor.

Talia had a new look. Top-tier bloodstone hairpin, three strands of dark gemstones at her neck, a pair of heavy antique cuffs at her wrists. She stood in the corridor and the aura rolling off her was deep and unhurried — the kind that only came from an ancient bloodline. Stolen power suits her, apparently. Even that faint edge of a servant family upbringing was gone without a trace.

I genuinely wanted to know what she'd used to put the curse on me.

She spotted me and came over fast, face lit up.

"Lyra, perfect timing. I've been scouting out opportunities for you for days — nearly went cross-eyed." She pressed a rolled scroll into my hands, voice heavy with meaning. "You can't just keep spinning your wheels like this. Find a real job, earn your own way. Wouldn't that feel better?"

I unrolled it.

First listing: Poison Taster — accompany noble banquets, sample all food and drink first, confirm no poison, compensated per sitting.

Second: training ground grunt work, daily cleanup and equipment hauling.

Last line, printed a size smaller than the rest: Bloodline Research Institute seeks voluntary blood donors. Compensation negotiated by bloodline quality. All tiers welcome to inquire.

She's been living large off stolen blood from me, and now she's pointing me toward a blood-for-pay clinic. Framed as doing me a favor.

I scrolled to the end to confirm there was nothing else, folded it up, and held it.

I had to hand it to her, honestly.

"I put real effort into finding all that," Talia said, tilting her head up with a breezy smile. "And it just so happens I'm treating everyone to dinner tonight — consider this your way of saying thanks. You're picking up the tab."

People were already chiming in.

"Talia went out of her way for you. The least you could do is show some appreciation."

"Honestly the poison taster job isn't bad — rub elbows with the nobility, get your face known. What's your problem with it?"

"She's been supporting you all this time and you can't even buy one meal? The audacity."

Cael showed up then with a few guests. Someone sighed admiringly: "Talia's family just got a fresh delivery of top-grade elixirs — now that's a family with real depth." Another one jumped in: "Seriously, Lyra, you've got some nerve standing here. Talia's buying and you'd still get a seat — anyone else would've kicked you out ages ago."

Cael had a new bloodstone bracelet on his wrist. The kind a woman picks out for you. Not cheap.

"I thought it over," I said, folding the scroll and handing it back to Talia as-is. "I'm planning to run on basics only for now. Nothing extra. Feel free to hold me to that."

I turned to go.

Cael's hand closed around my arm.

"Talia went out of her way for you and you're going to stand there and be picky about it." He stepped in close and leaned down, voice low, each word bitten off clean. "Living off other people's handouts, no bloodline to speak of, and you've still got the nerve to act like you're above something. You know what people actually think of you?" He straightened up and got in one last shot. "You chased me for so long and I never shut you down flat. I was being generous."

The guests nearby said nothing. One of them took a small step back, making room.

"Let go."

He didn't. He grabbed my arm and shoved me hard into the column behind me. My elbow hit stone with a dull crack. My whole arm went numb.

Someone sucked in a sharp breath, then went quiet fast.

Cael left with Talia. Didn't look back.

I steadied myself against the column and watched him go.

As he turned, I caught a glimpse of his eyes — and it wasn't just contempt in there. Something older. Something that had been sitting deep for a long time, usually kept well under wraps, and for just that one second hadn't been.

In my past life, I figured he was just playing along for Talia's sake.

Those eyes said otherwise.