Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTRMDPW8YXY5SN28KYN20ZF

Rory's hand trembled as she reached for the door, her fingertips grazing the chipped paint. She took a deep breath before knocking. Knocking turned to pounding, her fist heavy against the wood. "Coming!" a muffled voice called. Rory shifted from foot to foot, heart lodged in her throat. She heard the scrape of deadbolts, one, two, three. The door creaked open. Lucien stood there in all his infuriating glory. His black eye glinted, clashing with the amber of the other. A smile played at the edge of his mouth. "Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in." "I see you're still an arrogant prick," Rory said, pushing past him into the cramped flat. "A please-come-in would suffice." Lucien raised an eyebrow. "My humble abode is hardly fit for a queen." Rory snorted. "Cut the bullshit, Lucien. We need to talk." She folded her arms, wishing she'd worn something more impressive than a threadbare sweater and jeans with holes in the knees. Not that she wanted to impress him. No, she most certainly did not. Lucien closed the door with a soft click. He leaned against it, hands in the pockets of his tailored trousers. "Talk, huh? You didn't seem keen on talking when you left." Rory bit the inside of her cheek, steeling herself against the rush of memories. Lucien's hands on her skin, his lips trailing fire down her neck. The desperate way he'd whispered her name, like a prayer or a curse. The sting of betrayal when she found out he'd been trading information about her to the highest bidder. "Rory?" Lucien's voice pulled her back. He was closer now, close enough to touch. She could see the rise and fall of his chest, smell the spicy scent of his cologne. "What brings you to my door after all this time?" Rory lifted her chin. "I need your help." Lucien's eyebrows shot up. "My help? I'm flattered, mon chère. But what could a self-sufficient woman like yourself possibly need from a lowly fixer like me?" "Oh, I don't know. Maybe something to do with the fact that half the demons in London are suddenly very interested in little old me?" Rory's voice dripped with sarcasm. Lucien blinked. "Pardon?" Rory threw up her hands. "Don't play dumb with me, Lucien. I know you've heard the chatter. You always have your ear to the ground." Lucien studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he sighed. "I may have picked up a whisper or two. But you can't seriously expect me to leap at your beck and call. Not after—" "After what? After you sold me out?" The words hung between them, heavy and sharp. Lucien's jaw tightened. "I did what I had to do to survive. You of all people should understand that." "Oh, I understand perfectly. You're a selfish bastard who only looks out for himself." Rory's laugh was bitter. "Silly me, thinking we actually meant something to each other." "Damn it, Rory!" Lucien's voice cracked like a whip. He closed the distance between them in two strides, his fingers digging into her shoulders. "Of course you meant something. You still do. But my world is dangerous. The last thing I wanted was to drag you further into it." Rory's heart stuttered. She wanted to believe him, to fall into his arms and let him chase the darkness away. But she'd been burned before. Trust was a luxury she couldn't afford. "I'm already in it," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I need to know what they want from me, Lucien. And I need your help to find out." Lucien searched her face, his grip on her shoulders easing. "You're sure about this? Once you step into this world, there's no going back." "Yes." No hesitation. Rory lifted her hand, resting it over his heart. "But if you double-cross me again, I swear to every god in the Book, I will end you." Lucien's lips twitched. "I'd expect nothing less." The air shifted, charged with something electric. Rory's breath caught as Lucien leaned in, his forehead resting against hers. "Gods help me, Aurora Carter. You're going to be the death of me." "Likewise," Rory breathed. And then his lips were on hers, hot and desperate, chasing away the ghosts of the past.