1. Seraphic

𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏. a disastrous heartbreak

s e r a p h i n a

☽ ☾

Salvatore.

Clad in a suit that made him look devastatingly beautiful.

She had been right, Seraphina realised.

If Malachai was there, and Salvatore, then it had to do with the resistance they were a part of.

"Hi," he said when he saw her, approaching her.

The tears returned. Her heart sank. That traitorous feeling of betrayal gripped it and squeezed until she bled and the blood spelled out the words for her.

"I know why you're here," she choked out.

They were going to have some sort of takeover, the resistance. What other reason was there?

"What?"

He was close now, a few inches away, brows furrowed slightly. If she wasn't mistaken, she saw concern in his eyes, confusion. Then again, he was good at pretending he felt things he didn't.

"Sorry." She sniffed, blinking back her tears and straightening. "I didn't forget my words from your last visit, General Salvatore." He stared at her. "Thank you for coming today. I had not realised you were invited."

"I am always invited, as General."

"Right." She nodded. "Well, I have to—"

"Is it okay if I ask you for a dance before you go?" Seraphina stared at him. "Just one. I will leave you alone for the rest of the night."

"Fine," she forced herself to say, her words trembling as she took his hand and allowed him to lead her to the main dance floor.

They got into position, but even as they danced, Seraphina refused to look at him. He stared at her, his eyes burning her where they traced her face, but she avoided his gaze and looked off into the right instead, allowing her mind to focus on the other guests there and their clothes, the colours, the materials.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking down at her with a frown. "You have not met my eyes once, Angel."

"This is just another attempt, isn't it?" she whispered.

"At what?" He shook his head, disagreeing with something either in his mind or hanging in the air, unspoken between them. "No. That... time was the only one. Now we are just a general and his princess."

"No. I am your nothing."

"Okay." He nodded. "Nothing, it is."

He looked relieved to hear that, if anything.

"How has Kai been?" she asked.

She figured she could at least try and get something from him before she saw him for herself. Hopefully that was soon, but she didn't mind if it took some patience and waiting—so long as she saw him again.

"Fine," he said. "He tried to sneak out to a tavern one night." Something dark flashed in his eyes. "Same as always."

"What does he do there?"