Chapter 1 The Burnt Silver Scent

The black sedan dropped me at the gate of Thorne Manor and drove off before I could close the door. I stood there with my tiny valise, the air sharp and cold on my skin. My mother had just been buried, and now I was supposed to live in this mansion because a lawyer said so. I could barely breathe as I stared at the iron gates and the enormous house behind them.

"You have wasted enough time standing there".

The voice came from the grand doorway. I turned and saw him. Caspian Thorne. He looked like a sculpted warning standing in a black suit, his expression carved out of stone.

"Come inside or go back to wherever you came from", he said, not even blinking.

I walked toward him, clutching my bag. The floors inside were polished until they almost glowed, and my old shoes felt like intruders.

"It is customary to knock or announce yourself", he said. Even unexpected guests grasp that basic concept.

" I was told to come directly", I said.

"By the lawyer", he replied. "Yes". The clause was activated. "Your presence is an obligation, not a welcome".

I stopped walking and looked up at him. "What exactly does that mean".

"It means the darkness you carry is not yours to keep", he said.

I frowned. "I do not know what you are talking about".

"Do not pretend, Lyra. He stepped closer. You think a distant family connection grants you comfort or access. It grants you shelter. Only that. You will not dine with us. You will not act like you belong. You are not family. You are a temporary inconvenience".

He reached for my arm and gripped it firmly. "You will address me as Mr Thorne. You will not be seen unless instructed". Come. "I will show you where you actually belong".

He pulled me toward a narrow service corridor. The humiliation hit harder than his grip, but I set my feet and yanked my arm back.

"I can walk by myself. Tell me where to go".

Caspian stared as if he could not believe I dared to resist. Then he pointed. "Servants quarters. Now go".

Before I moved, a smooth, mocking female voice flowed down the staircase.

"Well, look at this. The little street rat is here".

Seraphina Thorne. She descended the stairs in a silver dress, each step slow and meant to be watched. Behind her stood Kael Thorne, his expression bored, hands in his pockets.

Seraphina stopped in front of me, wine glass in hand. "This is embarrassing, she said to Caspian. She is standing in the foyer like she belongs here. Why has no one removed her yet"?

She turned to me, smiling sharp as glass. "Did you think wearing black makes you look tragic? No. It only makes you look cheaper".

"I do not care what you think", I said.

Her smile disappeared. She lifted the wine glass and dumped it over my head. The cold liquid ran down my face, soaking my dress and burning my eyes.

"Oops, she said. How unfortunate. Try not to drip on the marble".

I wiped the wine from my face. Caspian watched with the calm interest of a scientist observing a failed experiment. He did nothing.

Kael finally stepped forward. "That is enough, Seraphina".

She rolled her eyes, annoyed.

Kael walked right up to me. I expected a slap. Instead, he touched the stained fabric lightly.

"We can bully her, he said to the room, but no one else can".

It was not comfortable. It was ownership. A claim.

He sniffed once. "You smell like burnt silver. It is unpleasant".

Caspian pointed again toward the corridor. "Go before something worse happens".

I did not wait. I walked quickly, my shoes echoing in the dark passage as my heart pounded against my ribs. I found the cramped servants floor and a tiny room with a narrow cot. The wine was sticky on my skin, and I needed a shower. Anything to wash away this moment.

The shared washroom was at the end of the hall. The door was slightly open, steam drifting out. I pushed it wider.

Someone was inside.

Standing in the doorway, a towel around his hips, water dripping down his tattooed chest, was Rune Thorne.

His eyes locked onto me immediately. No irritation. No surprise. Just raw, focused attention that made my breath catch.

He did not move. He did not look away. His presence filled the room like heat from a fire.

I froze. "Sorry. I did not know someone was here".

He kept staring. The silence stretched until it felt heavy enough to crush me.

He finally spoke, voice low and even. "Why are you crying red wine"?

"I am not crying".

"You walked in here soaked and shaking".

"I am fine".

"You look like you just got dragged behind a car, he said. Who did it"?

"No one".

He stepped closer, water still running down his skin. "Someone did. And you are going to tell me who".

I stepped back. "I do not owe you answers".

He stared at my dress, his expression darkening. "That was Seraphina’s wine. And Caspian let it happen".

"It is not your problem", I said.

He gave a short laugh that held no amusement. "Everything in this house is my problem".

I tried to move past him, but he blocked the doorway with one arm.

"Where are you going"?

"To clean up. Please move".

He stayed exactly where he was. "I want to know why you are here in the first place. Caspian said nothing when he passed me earlier".

"The lawyer sent me", I said.

Rune tilted his head. "For what? What are you supposed to be to us"?

"I do not know yet".

His eyes narrowed. "Liar".

I felt my frustration rising. "I said I do not know. Why is everyone in this house obsessed with humiliating me"?

He leaned in slightly, water dripping onto the floor. "You walked in at the wrong time. Seraphina is angry about something unrelated and took it out on you. Caspian added to it because that is who he is. Kael made it worse because he knows he can".

"And you, I asked. What are you going to do"?

Rune studied me, silent again. His gaze was intense enough to feel like heat against my skin.

"I do not know yet", he said.

I tried once more to pass him, and this time he let me. I stepped inside, closing the door halfway behind me. My hands shook as I reached for the sink.

Rune watched me from the doorway.

"You should not let Seraphina see you cry", he said.

"I am not crying".

He shrugged. "Tell yourself whatever makes you feel stronger".

I washed my face quickly, trying not to think about the humiliation burning in my chest.

Rune leaned his shoulder against the door frame. "You are going to have a hard time surviving here".

"I know that".

He looked at me for a long moment. "Not everyone in this house hates you", he said.

"Then who does not".

He smirked. "I did not say anyone liked you".

I stared at him. "Why are you here anyway? In the servants hall".

"Because I do not like being watched upstairs. Too many eyes. Too many expectations. Down here I can breathe".

He stepped forward again. "And you. Why are you shaking"?

"I am not shaking".

He reached out and took my wrist gently. "Yes you are".

I pulled away. "Stop touching me".

Rune did not look offended. He looked amused. "And you think telling me that will make me stop".

I moved toward the shower stall. "Can you leave so I can clean up"?

He walked closer instead. "You are already in pieces. If you break down here, no one will help you. Seraphina will step on you the next time. Caspian will ignore you. Kael will play with you like a toy. And the staff will pretend they did not see anything".

I clenched my jaw. "I am not breaking down".

Rune watched me quietly, then said something that froze me completely.

"You smell like burnt silver too".

I looked up sharply. "What does that mean"?

I was expecting him to shrug again, but he did not. He stepped close, too close, his face inches from mine.

"It means something is wrong with you, he said. And whatever it is, Caspian already knows".

I swallowed, unable to form words.

Rune’s eyes held mine. "And I want to know why you smell like that. Because people only smell like burnt silver when they are dangerous".

I stared back at him, pulse thundering in my ears. I had no idea what he meant. No explanation. No clue.

Rune dropped his voice. "Tell me the truth, Lyra. What did you bring into this house"?

Before I could answer, the washroom light flickered once and went completely dark.

Rune grabbed my arm instantly. "Do not move".

Something heavy thudded in the hallway. A shadow crossed behind the door. The doorknob turned slowly, even though no one had touched it.

Rune’s grip tightened.

"Someone else is down here".

The door creaked open an inch.

And I realized with absolute certainty that I was not alone in the servants hall.

And whoever had opened that door was not one of the Thornes.