Shadows & Secrets

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Delilah

The faint lighting in the room seeped through thick drapes, creating lengthy shadows that drifted over the floor. Delilah shifted, blinking away the remains of sleep that clung to her.

She shifted her position, her pulse racing and the ghosts of a nightmare still tormenting her. Her mind brought her visions of swirling shadows, creatures with sharp teeth, and an overpowering sensation of terror.

"She doesn't need to remember any of this." Aiden's voice sliced through the silence, urgent and desperate. "Hypnotize her. Please."

Delilah turned to face him, brows pinched, face strained and stiff as he leaned toward the person on the other side of the room. There was a flicker of something in his eyes─fear, perhaps? Maybe it was a protective instinct.

Draven stood with his arms folded and a sneer on his lips. "Aiden, changing her memories won't work. Delilah remembers everything," he said, his voice silky yet sinister. He had a confident, even contemptuous demeanor. "There is something remarkable about her. Don't tell me you didn't notice what transpired during the fight."

Delilah scowled as confusion swirled through her mind. A fight? What fight? She sought to patch together her fractured recollections and traced her fingertips over her neck while shivering. She remembered the phantom sensation of sharp fangs grazing her flesh, but she couldn't recall if anyone bit her.

"Of course, I noticed it. Just do your magic and rework her mind." Aiden's tone was deep and harsh, but there was an air of desperation that tugged at her emotions. "Remembering what she saw will do more harm than good."

"Maybe she can learn from this experience," Draven said. "You know she has supernatural powers, and you can assist her through this change."

Delilah blinked, her senses sharpening. This wasn't her home; it felt like a strange limbo, suspended between reality and a fading dream. She saw their faces, and heard the intensity of their argument lighting up the space around her, but she still found herself ensnared in her own confusion.

"You're safe, Foxy."

The voice pulled her from her thoughts. Aiden sat on the bed beside her, his presence warm and reassuring. She turned to face him, the familiarity of his gaze washing over her. His attitude conveyed a sense of desperation, as though he were hoping for her to grasp what was happening.

"That man... he came after me," she murmured, trying to piece together the fragments of memory. "He was a... demon."

Aiden's jaw tightened, and he nodded, but his expression didn't soften. Instead, he stayed still, his gaze locked on hers. "Vampire. That demon was a vampire."

"Now, now. Don't you think calling him a demon is a bit extreme?" Draven interjected, striding across the room with a tray in hand, an array of delicate china cups clinking together. His easygoing approach seemed out of place considering the intensity of the evening, but a cheeky smirk remained on his lips. "I'm sweeter than a cherry pie, right?"

Delilah watched the exchange, intrigued by the banter that seemed to fill the space, a strange contrast to the tension.

Aiden rolled his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "You have better qualities than others," he retorted, but there was a warmth in his tone that hinted at camaraderie.