"The past does not stay buried when blood remembers."

**************

Rosaline woke with a violent gasp.

Her entire body jerked upright before she could stop herself, her breathing uneven as fragments of the dream still clung viciously to her mind. The cave. The blood. The vampires. Her mother collapsing onto the wooden floor while silver light faded around her body.

And Florence falling into darkness with her.

The lingering fear sat heavily inside her chest.

For a few terrifying seconds, she did not know where she was.

Reality and Dream were colliding in her head.

The ceiling above her was unfamiliar at first glance, dark wood crossed with carved silver beams, while pale morning light filtered softly through long curtains stirred gently by the wind. The scent of cedarwood lingered in the room together with faint traces of candle wax and smoke from a fire that had long gone out during the night.

Rosaline blinked slowly.

The mansion.

She was back in the mansion.

Her hands tightened against the sheets beneath her as confusion rushed through her all over again. The dream had felt too real. Too vivid. It did not feel like imagination anymore.

It felt like memory....or perhaps, her past life.

A strange uneasiness settled over her skin as she glanced around the room cautiously, almost expecting the walls to shift again and return her to the forest.

Then she inhaled.

And immediately relaxed.

Xandros.

His scent lingered faintly in the air, grounding her faster than anything else could have. Something about it felt warm and familiar now, enough to calm the storm inside her head.

Before she could gather her thoughts completely, movement sounded near the balcony.

She turned quickly.

Xandros stepped into view from the adjoining chamber, already dressed in dark clothing, though his coat remained unbuttoned. Morning light touched the sharp angles of his face as his eyes immediately found her awake on the bed.

For a second, something unreadable crossed his expression.

Relief.

"You’re awake," he said quietly.

Rosaline nodded slowly, though her movements felt sluggish.

Xandros crossed the room toward her without hesitation. "How do you feel?"

"My head hurts."

Her voice sounded smaller than she intended.

He sat beside the bed, studying her carefully. "You had a fever during the night."

Rosaline frowned faintly. "A fever?"

"You were burning." His gaze narrowed slightly as though remembering it still bothered him. "You nearly scared the the temperature itself"

Despite herself, she smiled weakly.

"I’m alive."

"You say that like it was guaranteed."

Rosaline lowered her gaze briefly before exhaling softly. "It still hurts a little..."

Xandros reached forward instinctively, pressing the back of his fingers lightly against her forehead. The touch startled her more than it should have.

Not because it frightened her.

Because it felt gentle.

His brows relaxed slightly after a moment. "Better than before."

Rosaline nodded absentmindedly, but then movement behind her suddenly caught her attention.

White feathers shifted slightly against the blankets.

Her wings.

The smile vanished from her face instantly.

Slowly, Rosaline turned her head to look at them properly. The large silver-white wings rested folded behind her, soft beneath the morning light pouring through the windows.

For a long moment, she simply stared.

Xandros noticed the change immediately.

The first time the wings appeared, she had reacted with fear. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

This time...

sadness crossed her face instead.

Something deep and aching.

As though the sight reminded her of something she had lost.

"Rosaline."

She blinked quickly and looked away from the wings.

"I’m fine."

"You don’t look fine."

Her fingers brushed lightly against one feather before withdrawing again.

"They feel familiar now," she whispered quietly.

Xandros remained silent.

Rosaline swallowed hard before forcing herself to move. "I just need to clear my head."

Carefully, she pushed the blankets aside and moved toward the edge of the bed. The wings shifted awkwardly behind her, making her movements clumsy enough that she frowned in annoyance.

"Just obey me dear wings," she muttered.

That almost earned a smile from him.

Rosaline stood slowly before wobbling slightly when the unfamiliar weight behind her pulled unexpectedly.

Xandros immediately steadied her arm.

"I can stand."

"You’re struggling to sit."

She shot him a glare.

"I dislike you this early in the morning."

"That’s unfortunate," he replied calmly. "Because I’ve been awake for hours."

Rosaline rolled her eyes before moving carefully toward the bathroom. Halfway there, however, she paused suddenly.

The memory returned all at once.

The white-haired woman.

Selene.

Lysara.

Twins.

Her chest tightened painfully.

Xandros noticed immediately. "What is it?"

Rosaline looked down at her hands..... wondering if it was a good idea to tell him.

Then quietly said, "I think I have two mothers."

Silence.

Even the wind outside seemed to still briefly.

Xandros stared at her.

"That sentence requires explanation."

"I know."

Rosaline laughed weakly before pressing a hand against her temple. "I just... don’t know how to explain any of this."

She moved again until she reached the washstand near the mirror. Her reflection immediately caught her attention.

White hair.

Green eyes.

And wings curling behind her like living moonlight.

Rosaline’s expression dimmed.

"I keep seeing memories," she murmured softly. "Or dreams. I don’t know what they are anymore."

Xandros leaned slightly against the bedpost, watching her carefully.

"What kind of memories?"

Rosaline hesitated.

Then finally spoke.

"There was a woman who raised me." Her voice softened instinctively. "She died when I was little. I always believed she was my mother."

Xandros remained silent, letting her continue.

"But there’s another woman now." Rosaline’s eyes lifted toward the mirror again. "A woman with white hair like mine."

"And green eyes."

Her breath caught.

"How did you know?."

"I make it my duty to know what you’re thinking about ."

The answer came too smoothly.

Too naturally.

Rosaline quickly looked away before her face betrayed the warmth rising into it.

"She looked exactly like me," Rosaline whispered. "And someone called her Lysara."

Xandros’ expression shifted subtly.

"She’s your real mother."

Rosaline nodded weakly.

"And the other woman... Florence... she was her maid."

The words sounded strange even leaving her mouth.

Like they belonged to someone else’s life.

Not hers.

"I watched them," she continued quietly. "I watched everything happen. The vampires. The fight. Selene..."

Her voice faltered at the name.

Xandros’ gaze sharpened immediately.

"Selene?"

"She’s my mother’s twin sister."

That finally startled him.

Rosaline laughed bitterly at his expression. "See? Even saying it sounds insane."

Before he could answer, her emotions suddenly surged too quickly inside her chest.

The wings reacted instantly.

They curled tightly around her body in one smooth motion like a shield.

Rosaline startled at the movement.

"Oh gods..."

Xandros blinked once.

Then unexpectedly chuckled.

Rosaline stared at him in disbelief. "Why are you laughing?"

"Because your wings just got embarrassed for you."

"They did not!"

"They absolutely did."

Her face burned immediately.

"I hate you."

"No," he said calmly. "You don’t."

The certainty in his voice irritated her more than it should have.

Rosaline huffed softly before forcing the wings back awkwardly. "Forget I said anything."

"I don’t think I can."

She groaned dramatically and covered her face with both hands. "This is humiliating."

Xandros looked far too entertained by her suffering.

Rosaline sighed deeply before lowering her hands again. The humor slowly faded from her expression as another thought surfaced.

"My mother died."

The room quieted immediately.

Rosaline stared down at the floor.

"She died protecting me."

Something painful crossed her face.

"And now I don’t even know what really happened."

Xandros watched her carefully as realization settled deeper into her expression.

"I need to go back," she whispered.

"To Everbloom?" He asked her.

She nodded slowly.

"I need answers."

The determination in her voice surprised even herself.

Because for the first time since arriving in Dagon...

Rosaline no longer felt like someone simply surviving.

Now she wanted truth.

No matter what it destroyed.

Before either of them could speak again, hurried footsteps echoed outside the chamber.

Then...

Bang. Bang.

The knock came sharply.

Xandros’ expression darkened instantly.

"What?"

The door opened slightly before Seth stepped inside.

Unlike usual, this man looked genuinely serious.

"There’s a problem."

Rosaline frowned immediately.....and had a shocked expression immediately when she remembered how she looked right now.

Seth’s pale eyes shifted briefly toward her wings before returning to Xandros.

But Seth didn’t look a bit startled.

It then must have to do with how she got to the mansion from the palace overnight.

"The northern borders just sent word." His jaw tightened slightly. "An entire village disappeared overnight."

Silence settled heavily through the room.

Then Seth added quietly...

"And the survivors are claiming they saw silver light in the forest before everyone vanished."