A couple of days prior, on the night when Aliana and everyone else had shifted back to the Valentine Residence following the harrowing incident with Rose, three figures stood inside Gavriel’s home office.

The atmosphere was heavy, their expressions serious under the dim lighting.

Gavriel stood close to the floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze fixed on the glowing moon outside, while Cillian and Reve waited on the other side of the desk, their attention locked onto him.

"Gavriel, you know whatever happened was not normal for a human, don’t you?" Cillian voiced his concern. When the man remained silent, he pushed further. "Not only does she possess extraordinary power, but what completely baffles me is the change in her eye colour."

Cillian paused, carefully choosing his next words as he spoke, "You know that only someone from... our kind can do that when channelling their pow-"

"She’s a human." Gavriel’s low voice cut through the air, breaking the silence.

Slowly, Gavriel turned around to face them.

His icy blue eyes met Cillian’s, his expression cold and absolute. "Her heart beats like a human’s, her aura is that of a human, and when she is injured, she heals slowly like a human. Special, yes. But there is no way she could be anything more than that." He paused, his tone hardening. "Especially not someone from our kind."

Cillian’s lips thinned as he listened to his friend.

He knew that Gavriel would be the first to notice any abnormalities if she were not human.

Unless... someone had cast an unimaginably powerful spell on her.

But even then, the possibility seemed absurdly small, bordering on impossible, because deceiving a devil like him was no simple task.

Gavriel’s powers exceeded those of anyone Cillian had ever known. If anyone could truly rival him, it would be that specific person who could not exist within this realm.

Cillian knew that had it not been for that one past incident, had it not been for that fateful night that changed everything, Gavriel would undoubtedly be the most powerful being in both realms by every right.

It made Cillian wonder if Gavriel operating at only half of his true strength was the exact reason he couldn’t pierce the mystery surrounding Aliana.

Because the woman was definitely not normal. Humans could not change their eye colour like that, let alone wield the kind of power reserved only for gods and the highest nobility of the underworld, which was also extremely rare.

But above all else, Cillian knew one thing for certain.

Should the truth about her true nature ever be revealed, enemies would swarm. There would be a massive target on her back.

His blood ran cold just thinking about what catastrophe would fall upon all of them if anyone managed to lay a hand on her, knowing exactly what a provoked Gavriel was capable of doing.

He could see the unusual, rapidly growing attachment Gavriel had toward Aliana, and he knew just how fiercely protective he already was of her.

But she was a human in the end.

A human’s lifespan was minuscule compared to beings like them, who could live forever so long as they continued to feed.

Yet... another dark thought entered his mind....

Should the time come to let her go, or if anything happened to her that led to her demise, would Gavriel be able to accept it?

Cillian did not have the answer. Not yet.

But he found himself intensely curious about what that answer would be, because Gavriel had never been attached to any woman in his entire life, let alone entertained the thought of marriage.

’Except... that one...’ He forced the thought to a sudden halt before it could fully take root in his mind.

Something deep within him warned against entertaining any dreadful scenarios regarding Aliana as well. A quiet instinct whispered that it would be far better for the entire world if such a situation never came to pass.

Taking in a sharp breath, Cillian gave him a single nod. "Alright. I’ll see if I can find anything regarding someone wielding that specific kind of power. I doubt I’ll turn up anything concrete, assuming you’ve already done your own research."

When Gavriel merely stared back at him in silence, Cillian took it as a quiet confirmation.

Then, his tone shifting to a far more serious note, he added, "You know that if word about her power leaks out, there are those who will come for her. It’s a good thing we left Victorian Heights immediately after the incident, but there will certainly be entities sniffing around the remnants of her energy, trying to track her down."

"I have already leaked my powers over there to overshadow hers. They won’t have enough to trace her." Gavriel’s eyes darkened as he added, his voice dropping into a dangerous growl, "And should they even try to enter this place, I’ll know. And when I do, they’ll suffer consequences far worse than death."

Cillian and Reve felt the fine hairs on the back of their necks stand up at Gavriel’s threat. Everyone knew that no one survived when he issued a warning, and should anyone be foolish enough to ignore it, their fate would truly be more agonising than anything a soul could experience.

"I hear you." Cillian released a sigh before asking, "So what about your upcoming engagement being held at Vanderbilt Estate? There isn’t a barrier there like the one surrounding this place."

Gavriel’s gaze shifted to Cillian. "You will keep your eyes and ears open on the ground around Aliana while..."

He turned his attention to Reve. "You will be watching from afar. Any unusual activity must be reported to me immediately. But... Reve, you cannot appear in front of Aliana under any circumstances. Keep that in mind."

Reve bowed his head respectfully. "Yes, Master."

Reve knew he could no longer carelessly wander close to Aliana because of her uncanny ability to see him. Which was exactly why he could only watch over things from a distance, a restriction that unfortunately limited his ability to maintain a closer eye on her.

"As for the rest, I will be by her side," Gavriel continued, his tone absolute. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Although I highly doubt anyone will be foolish enough to cross the line while I am there with her, you both must still stay alert. Even though the venue will be filled with humans, our kind can easily blend in among them."

"Understood," both men replied simultaneously.

.....

Coming back to the present, under the watchful eyes of Cillian, Gavriel, and Reve from afar, drinks were finally brought to the couple.

A bright smile bloomed on Aliana’s face, and just as she extended her hand to reach for a glass, Gavriel moved before her.

To everyone’s surprise, he did something that left the entire room momentarily stunned.