Stella pressed her hand against her throbbing head, struggling to suppress a groan. She flinched at the hands she felt in her hair and on her body, and as she opened her eyes, she jerked back and almost fell to the ground, but the servants caught her with shrieks and helped her up. Stella looked around in disbelief. Girls dressed differently than the dancers she had seen before surrounded her, attending to her... grooming her?
"What is going on?"
The girls, with wide eyes, looked at Stella and giggled at her words. It amused them greatly to see her doing things that a real person might do; it made them feel less insignificant. Stella grumbled, pushing the girls aside as she stood up. She was beginning to understand some things on her own, but the questions she wanted answers to were still shrouded in uncertainty.
"Where are my friends?" The girls followed her, moving with her every step. Realizing this despite just waking up, Stella turned on them furiously and snarled, "Leave me alone!"
"You need to be prepared, please sit down!" The girls panicked and started adjusting Stella's clothes, making her realize that she was no longer in the outfit she had worn for the mission. They had dressed her in an attire that reflected the enchantment of an ancient world. The bronze-colored fabric, wrapped in thin strips starting from her chest, draped elegantly over her shoulders. The chest area was covered by a thin gold armor, and the engravings on this armor looked like they narrated the stories of great warriors from the past.
The skirt that flowed from her waist was made of natural-toned white and brown fabrics. It was layered, creating a wave-like effect with each movement, giving her a mystical aura with every step. Thin golden chains were attached to the sides of the dress, lightly chiming with every step, echoing in the quiet surroundings.
Her arms were bare, and leather straps extended from her elbows to her wrists, reflecting her elegant yet warrior spirit. Stella's long, wavy blonde hair cascaded freely over her shoulders, with a few thin braids adorned with small, shiny stones. The belt around her waist was fastened with a meticulously crafted metal buckle, bearing the symbols of the ancient underground kingdom.
Normally, she would have fainted and immediately demanded the name of the designer to request more of such designs. But now, as her gaze moved away from the mirror, Stella understood that this decoration had a single purpose. Her features were accentuated, making her look like a goddess. With a trembling voice, she asked the extremely annoying girls another question. This time, she wasn't sure if she wanted an answer or wanted to hear the answer she would get, but she had to ask.
"What are you preparing me for?"
The girls giggled, and one of them sighed while the other nudged her as a warning. "For our king, he liked you very much. You are so lucky!"
As her world collapsed around her, Stella closed her eyes, unable to prevent the growing fear within her. She was having trouble feeling her powers. If she was still standing, it was because of the strength given by the night. Daytime was now as unreachable as it could be. Stella gathered all her concentration, focused on the night, and called upon the moon. Please, she silently called out to the stars, please let there be a miracle.
"I don't understand. Is there only one room with a red door in this huge palace?" Aisha felt her nerves fraying, and she was beginning to feel like she wasn't doing a good job as a friend. Brandon had given them orders and then left. In reality, someone had to think of a way to get them out of that situation, and Brandon had taken on that responsibility instantly. But Aisha didn't like him or his orders. She and Nabu had been searching for two hours without finding anything, and they had exhausted themselves hiding. No one seemed to have noticed that they had escaped from the dungeons yet, as no one was in a panic.
"I suppose so, otherwise why would the man describe the room that way with his dying breath?"
Aisha glared at Nabu, crossing her arms. "Are you aware of how stupid they all are? The red door he mentioned could also be a red room. How can we be sure he knew the difference?"
Nabu shook his head, and upon seeing the guards approaching, he pressed Aisha against the wall, shielding her with his body, and activated an invisibility spell. They had been hiding like this for hours. The palace was so large, with so many staircases, that they hadn't run into Brandon even once. When Aisha suggested that Brandon might have been caught, Nabu had just laughed and given her a disdainful look. Brandon wouldn't get caught. The only reason he had been captured and put in the dungeon was that Stella had completely captivated him at that moment. If Brandon had used even a fraction of his strength, he would have defeated hundreds of creatures there. Nabu had seen how completely Brandon was focused on Stella, and when they had taken her from his arms, he had lost it. He hadn't acted like himself even once during that time, which was why they had managed to catch him.
Nabu couldn't help but feel sad as he witnessed his friend's behavior towards Stella once again. They had always exhausted each other by suppressing and pushing things away. When Stella and Brandon first met, Brandon was 21 and Stella was 16. Everyone knew Brandon was affected by her; it was obvious. They were terrible at hiding it, but Stella was too young for him. People hadn't hesitated to talk, and shortly afterward, the war had broken out, with Red Fountain siding with the witches. Although the long war between the fairies and witches ended with the witches' defeat, the fairies suffered many losses. The 16-year-old Stella Brandon knew was no longer innocent; she had taken many lives and had been hurt deeply.
Their first mission together was when Stella was 17. Both had clearly expressed that they didn't want to work together, but when it came to the mission, they had no choice but to accept and fell into another trap set by the witches. Whatever had happened during that time, Stella and Brandon had become enemies. Those who knew there had been an attraction from the beginning watched in shock as the two tried to destroy each other. And most of the time, both sides succeeded. The victories they won never seemed appealing to them; instead, it fueled their hatred further. Now, Brandon was clearly showing Nabu that his old feelings had never gone away. He didn't hesitate because Nabu was his closest friend. Not Sky, always Nabu. And Nabu knew that Brandon cared, but something was holding him back. Stella was now 19, and no one would push her around, but both Brandon and Stella had clearly shown that this wasn't the real reason. Despite the attraction between them, Nabu knew they had never experienced anything romantic, quite the opposite—they had almost faced death. Hatred, perhaps that was the attraction they felt. They both hated each other so much that even Nabu and Aisha couldn't help but think there was something emotional between them. Yet they both knew very well that hatred was as powerful a feeling as love.
When the guards passed by, Nabu returned to normal and looked at Aisha. "The only thing we can do is believe the man was talking about the door. Now, let's continue." Aisha nodded, trying to hide how Nabu's closeness affected her. As her gaze dropped to the ground, she aimed to hide her blushing cheeks, but at that moment, she noticed something. The color of the carpet runners changed from corridor to corridor. And the corridor to their right was covered with a red carpet.
"Follow me." Aisha began walking quickly down the corridor, with Nabu trying to keep up and understand what she was doing. As Aisha explained the situation while walking quickly, they nearly started running. The end of the corridor, however, was not as promising as they had hoped. It split into three, and each corridor was lined with a red carpet.
Brandon dragged the last guard he had killed into a corner, out of sight. He had stopped counting, realizing it was unnecessary and decided to focus solely on his path. Although there were obstacles, dealing with these creatures felt like a waste of time. This was the main reason for his growing frustration. He tried to keep thoughts of Stella's condition or what she might be going through out of his mind, which allowed him to move forward more calmly, but not thinking about it was easier said than done. The anxiety within him and the trembling of his hands already betrayed his state. Cursing, he sank to the ground, trying to ignore his brain urging him to move and speed up, and instead focused on controlling his anger for a moment.
Brandon already knew about the carpet detail that Aisha had noticed, which put him ahead of them. The primary reason he wanted them to split up was the slim chance that if one of them gets caught, there would still be hope for Stella. Now, he realized another reason—he was finding it hard to keep calm. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stay composed. The fewer people witnessed this, the better for him.
Stella's gaze and the state she was in the last time he saw her had left Brandon feeling helpless. The emotions he had suppressed hit him like a shockwave, and silent curses tumbled from his lips. Even though Stella hated him, she hadn't calmed down in Aisha's arms but had relaxed in his. This truth only made Brandon more tense as he buried his head in his hands and squeezed his eyes shut. He was certain that if he didn't reach Stella soon, he would lose his mind.
"She's so beautiful, I think the king will keep her all to himself! The queen doesn't stand a chance; she's brought trouble on herself!" Brandon lifted his head, listening to the approaching voices of the high-pitched girls as they continued their conversation. "Absolutely! Did you see how perfectly those clothes fit her body? Amentia could never wear them as beautifully." The girls giggled, and Brandon had already risen to his feet, following them silently. Moving without a sound had never been an issue for him—it was said to be the expertise of all specialists. But Brandon did it better than anyone else, with Riven coming close, thanks to the advantage of growing up on the streets.
"She's truly stunning." Brandon struggled to keep himself from drawing his sword on the girls. They spoke of Stella as if she were an object, constantly commenting on her figure and beauty. Although Brandon agreed with every one of their comments, hearing others speak about her in such a manner greatly irritated him. When the girls stopped at a door that wasn't red, Brandon frowned and stepped aside, peering around the corner as they opened it. It was a brief moment, too brief, yet it felt like an eternity. Stella stood by the window—no, she was bound—gazing out with a distant look in her eyes.
The girls had understated it; Brandon felt rooted to the spot. The woman he thought of as a goddess in whatever she wore now shone before him as the most beautiful being in the universe. Her skin looked pale, likely due to the reason Aisha had mentioned. Stella was a fairy whose skin glowed with the sun and took on a porcelain hue under the moonlight. Her skin color changed according to her power source. Brandon took a deep breath, at least understanding that the moon's power was currently keeping her standing. His body began to warm, and his palms started to sweat, indicating that not only his eyes and soul were affected, but his body as well. You are so beautiful, princess, he thought, beautiful enough to hurt me.
As the door closed and blocked his view, Brandon closed his eyes, leaned against the wall, and began to breathe deeply. He knew what he had to do: storm into the room, cut down anyone who stood in his way, and take Stella. But as he bowed his head, he realized there was an issue with his own body, and he cursed, waiting a moment to calm down. Stella affected him this quickly and intensely. Whether he wanted to or not, his body immediately responded, declaring his desire for the fairy.
His eyes drifted to the ceiling, and his entire body froze as he noticed something he had overlooked. The steel bracelets on Stella's wrists. Even if there was a rope-like accessory around them, Brandon could remember every detail about Stella right now. Her figure etched itself into his brain so easily that Brandon often felt like his own brain lived on rent in his skull, mostly belonging to Stella.
Those bracelets were used at Red Fountain to block magic for captives and for torture purposes. These bracelets, once put on magical beings, prevented them from using their magic. Brandon felt a surge of rage, which oddly comforted him. Fighting against the effect Stella had on his body would not be easy, especially considering there was no way to dissipate those intense feelings afterward. Right now, anger would keep him sharp. Stella couldn't escape those bracelets on her own, no matter how hard she tried—the bracelets repelled any attempts to remove them. Gripping his sword, he pushed off the wall. Finally, he thought, she will be where she belongs—right in front of my eyes.
Brandon sprang from his hiding spot and threw open the door, only to be met with an empty room instead of the scene he expected. How? His eyes quickly scanned the room, feeling his anger surge. The absence of the blonde he'd seen just minutes ago was the final straw. Kicking the glass coffee table in the room's center, he looked around once more. Stella's scent, even her presence, seemed completely erased. But then his eyes caught sight of something on the windowsill—a glimmering object, the Solaria ring, shining as if seeking its owner. Brandon swallowed hard, stepping forward to take the ring and holding it tightly, hoping it would somehow bring him closer to Stella. He knew he needed to focus. The door hadn't been opened, and though he might have imagined seeing Stella, he had definitely seen the two servant girls. He couldn't have been mistaken.
There had to be another door leading from this room. As Brandon meticulously scanned the room, he saw no obvious door. The room was cluttered with vases and various accessories. There was no bed, nor space for one. Instead, it was filled with a large red wardrobe and mirrored dressers. A red wardrobe. Gripping his sword tighter, he approached the wardrobe and pressed his ear to the door, listening. No sounds came from within, but he slowly and carefully opened the door, cautiously peering inside. Despite immediately understanding it wasn't an ordinary wardrobe, he didn't expect what he found. Behind the door was a staircase, illuminated by candlelight, winding upwards into the unknown.
Wasting no time, Brandon started up the stairs, his heartbeat accelerating with each step. He loathed the way Stella affected him. His body, feelings, emotions, and life became unhinged whenever she was involved. No matter how controlled and calm he tried to be, how cold and distant he remained, Stella had the power to disrupt everything. Often, she didn't even need to do anything; her mere existence had carved a significant place in Brandon's life. Each time he faced this truth, he lashed out in anger and hatred, most of it directed at Stella. Perhaps because he didn't understand what it meant to love, these feelings suffocated him.
At the top of the stairs, Brandon plunged his sword into the ground, taking a moment to rest. The stairs hadn't tired him, but the constant thinking had. His eyes bore into the red door ahead as if trying to see through it. The scream from inside made his entire body tense. Stella. Without a second thought, he rammed his shoulder into the door, bursting it open and making a dramatic entrance. Stella stood with a shard of glass, seemingly from a broken vase, facing off against a man at least two meters tall, signaling him to stop as she leaned against the wall. The fear in her eyes was unmistakable to anyone who wasn't blind or foolish.
"Brandon?" Stella blinked, trying to believe it was really him. Her hands trembled, causing the glass shard to fall. Brandon focused on ignoring Stella's voice calling him and quickly moved toward the man, who he presumed to be the king. Oddly, this man didn't resemble the underground people at all, his physique was broad just like a specialist's body. Brandon knew the difference since he was the one to train them for years and also was a specialist himself. The scars on his neck making it obvious too, he just knew the man wasn't the same as Amentia. Because he wasn't from the underground. Each time they ventured below, Brandon had only seen Amentia, never the king. Now he understood why: these people weren't rational, worshiping blondes in such a manner. There was a mastermind behind them, and he was undoubtedly a sick bastard.
"Let me guess. You found this place, became the Queen's favorite, and then her husband, seizing all control," Brandon spoke as the king started grinning and licking his lips. Brandon lowered his sword momentarily, sizing up the man. His height was largely due to the enormous shoes he wore. Brandon recognized him; he knew most of the specialists. The man in front of him had a familiar face. Andrew?
"Your foolishness isn't limited to the surface, it seems," Brandon said, deciding to leave the King alone and started to make his way toward Stella. Only a bed separated them, with the King on the other side. Stella felt her heart race as Brandon moved in front of her. Had he come back for her? She thought it was the end when she heard he had escaped... Realizing he couldn't ease the tension in his muscles, Brandon took another step toward Stella and looked at her. "Are you okay?" Stella nodded, still looking as if she couldn't believe her eyes. Brandon nodded back, seeing his proximity to her as an advantage. He turned back to the King. "I won't ruin your life by exposing your secrets. Unless, you don't let us pass."
Stella looked at Brandon in disbelief. "Are we really going to let this sicko keep doing what he's been doing?!" Brandon felt an involuntary relief wash over him hearing her voice so close. Stella's damned influence seemed to take over his body. "Brandon, this man was going to rape me!"
For a brief moment, Brandon simply absorbed what he had heard. Then, in an instant, he advanced on the so called king, taking him down with swift, precise movements and began punching him uncontrollably. Stella, watching in shock, felt rooted to the spot. Not able to believe that her words really did affect him this fast. Eventually, she rushed to Brandon's side, trying to persuade and stop him from killing the King. Realizing that Brandon wasn't listening or that her words weren't having any effect, she knelt beside him, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "Brandon, please! You'll kill him, stop!"
He was trembling, uncontrollably. Even when he carried Stella on his back, he had told Aisha to secure her on his back with her morphix so as not to touch her in case she could feel uncomfortable. And this bastard tries to take her forcefully? The woman even Brandon himself couldn't dare to touch and kept himself away from. The thought of someone else trying to force themselves on her had driven him livid. He snarled, trying to push Stella away, but she wouldn't budge, and he wasn't exerting enough force. "Move!" Normally, a shout like that would have made Stella jump, but this time it didn't affect her. Her arms tightened around his neck and Brandon closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. As Stella's scent filled his lungs, he felt his trembling subside and his tense bones relax, almost enough to hunch over. This wasn't what he wanted. Normally, he would simply decapitate the man, ending it quickly, but now he wanted to prolong his suffering, and Stella wasn't letting him!
"Please! I don't want to see it, please!"
Swallowing hard, Brandon slowly stood up, Stella's arms still around him. His hands found her waist, pulling her body closer to his. It was Stella's turn to be surprised and startled, but Brandon ignored it, burying his face in the young fairy's neck and inhaling her scent deeply. He knew he needed this, for the first time in years, he was able to breathe in her scent. It was infuriating that a scent could affect him so much. As Stella felt Brandon's hand burn on her bare waist and his breath against her skin, she sensed all her tension melt away. Brandon wasn't letting her go and she wasn't trying to move away either. The outfit Stella was wearing presented different challenges for both of them. Brandon was putting in all his effort to resist the urge to touch her skin further and to not get drawn into the allure of the woman standing so enticingly close, almost like a visual feast. Stella, on the other hand, was struggling not to lose herself in feeling Brandon so near due to the thin fabrics she was wearing.
"Son of a bitch," the king spat on the ground as he leaned against the wall, while Brandon lifted his head and shot a look towards the bastard. He grabbed Stella's waist tighter and lifted her body up, positioning her behind him. Although Stella felt a chill run through her the moment his arms left her, she bit her tongue and stayed silent. Brandon, on the other hand, stepped forward and leaned down to the fake king's eye level.
"Do you want to live bastard?"
The man scrutinized Brandon for a while, knowing he had to choose his words carefully as he recognized who he was. Swallowing hard, he nodded his head, "What do you want?" Brandon tilted his head, sizing up the man, "You're going to get the hell out of here, Andrew. I advise you to go to the depths of hell where I can't find you. But before that, you'll write an explanation to these people here, as their king." As Andrew lifted his head to look at Brandon in shock, Stella was just as astonished – he really knew who he was!
"I can't!" Closing his eyes, Brandon grabbed Andrew's hair and slammed his head against the wall, then pulled his hair again, bringing his face close to his. "Then I'll have to kill you."
Despite his head spinning and his bones aching, Andrew looked at Stella in fear. He was aware that he was asking for her help, but when Stella frowned and gave him a hard stare, he realized his hopes were dashed. "Don't look at her!" At Brandon's roar, Andrew, thoroughly cowed, nodded his head vigorously, which only intensified the pain. Brandon groaned, indicating his boredom, and stood up, yanking Andrew to his feet by his hair and slamming him against the wall again. As another door burst open, Aisha and Nabu rushed in, breathless, but with creatures in pursuit. Brandon swiftly headbutted the king, knocking him out, and blocked a creature behind Nabu with his sword. As the creature fell at his feet, Brandon moved to take down another one. Meanwhile, Aisha hugged Stella tightly, tears of relief streaming down her face as she murmured how much she had worried about her.
No one noticed how frozen Stella was, her gaze following Brandon, watching him in a daze. For the first time in a long while, Brandon had looked at her over the wall they had built together. Years ago, they had constructed that wall and then gone their separate ways, understanding without words that nothing could ever happen between them. Stella had become convinced by Brandon's every move and word that there could be nothing between them, feeling his hatred so intensely that she had begun to hate him too, though she hadn't completely suppressed her other feelings.
Nabu approached and placed his hand on her head, looking at Stella. "Are you okay? No one did anything to you, right?" Stella shook her head, her eyes still on Brandon, watching him deal with the last creature and close the door so no one can interrupt them for a while. He glanced at the king, checking his condition so he won't runoff then looked up and made unexpected eye contact with Stella, his startled reaction indicating his surprise. He flinches a lot around me. As she thought this, her self-confidence unintentionally rose, because of me. Stella's confidence dropped than, was this a good sign or a bad one?
Though Stella knew she should stop staring, she couldn't help herself, and the words that burst from her mouth were why Brandon frowned at her, "I thought you'd escaped."
Aisha grumbled and smacked Stella's arm. "Of course we escaped, that's why we're here, genius." For the first time, Stella tore her gaze from Brandon and rolled her eyes at her friend. "I thought you escaped from the palace."
Nabu smiled and shook his head, "Where would we go leaving you behind? You're our most powerful weapon against Darkar; we'd die." Stella giggled, raising her wrists, "These don't make me much use to you." Everyone frowned as they looked at Stella's wrists. Already irate from seeing them, Brandon advanced, grabbed her wrists, and pulled her towards him. Stella's chest found Brandon's, his eyes already on hers, he was trying to take the wrist-chains off. Nabu and Aisha watched in shock as Brandon began to untie the bracelets. Those sons of bitches had to tighten them this much, he thought, seeing the scars left behind as he removed the bracelets. When Brandon's gaze fell on Stella's arms, he wondered how many more tests he'd endure that day. Bruises and cuts marked her arms, none of them caused by something mild or painless.
As he exhaled through his nose, Nabu grabbed Brandon's shoulder and pulled him back. His friend had begun to notice Brandon was going too far. Brandon, having started to tear down all the walls he had built, felt his suppressed emotions rising to the surface. "Let's deal with the king, come on." Though Brandon shot Nabu a dirty look, he understood from his friend's warning gaze that there was something serious behind it, and he nodded, moving towards the king.
"Umm, excuse me what the fuck?" Aisha grabbed Stella's chin and turned her face towards her. "You look fabulous, if you weren't my friend, I'd have hit on you already." Stella laughed and sat on the bed she had earlier looked at with disgust. "I was prepared as bait for the king, but look at the quality of this fabric! Whoever the stylist is, I'll make sure to hire them in Solaria." Aisha shook her head and sat next to Stella. Waving her hand towards the slain creatures, she covered them with a morphix layer like a cloth. Their powers were so weak right now that morphix was the only thing she could manage, and the creatures were a big eyesore. "When your father learns about this, if he doesn't blow this place up, my name's not Aisha."
Stella sighed and looked at Aisha, "This guy who calls himself the king, he was a former specialist. Somehow he managed to get here and tricked the queen into making him king. Long story short, because the people here aren't very smart, he's wrapped them around his finger and made his sick thoughts seem like part of their kingdom." Aisha listened to Stella with her mouth agape, covering it with her hand as if she couldn't believe it, shaking her head in disbelief. "What?!" She whispered, then looked at the king Brandon and Nabu were now trying to wake up. "Look at this bastard, so what do you think will happen when Amentia finds out?" Stella shrugged, indicating she didn't care. Despite the absurd and bloody situation they were in, the two fairies were so engrossed in their gossip that they hadn't noticed Brandon and Nabu glaring at them. "Girls." Nabu's call startled them, and they both got up from the bed and walked towards them. Andrew had woken up and was looking at Stella with a disheveled and bloodied face. "What do we do now?" Aisha asked, noticing Andrew's gaze on Stella, she leaned in to slap him.
"Get your eyes off my friend, punk." Brandon turned his head sharply towards Andrew, causing the fake king to flinch and close his eyes tightly. Exhaling in frustration, Brandon was pulled away by Nabu. "We'll meet with the queen and explain the situation. Also mention that she owes us and finally make our way into Darkar's caves."
As Stella and Aisha sat on the couch in the queen's sitting room, Brandon and Nabu stood leaning against the wall beside them, listening to Amentia issuing orders left and right. The two fairies were extremely bored and restless. Stella wanted to get out as soon as possible and feel the daylight on her skin, while Aisha was also looking for a chance to escape from this gloomy place. Stella was still wearing the same clothes; part of her wanted to change immediately, but another part wanted to cling to the outfit and never take it off. Brandon's gaze followed her as if he never wanted to lose sight of her, but thankfully, only Nabu noticed and frequently shook his head in disapproval.
"Stop looking at the girl like that." Brandon gave Nabu a glance before returning his gaze to Stella. "You saw what happened the last time I took my eyes off her."
Nabu rolled his eyes and moved closer to his friend, "That's not how I remember it. If I recall correctly, they snatched her away when you were very much focused on her."
Brandon frowned, not taking his eyes off Stella, and responded with a hiss through his teeth, "I had to make sure she was okay. It doesn't count." Nabu laughed and shook his head, admitting to himself that he missed seeing Brandon like this. Normally, he only talked about Stella with Nabu, but that hadn't happened for a long time. The reason was that stupid mission – whatever had happened on their last mission together had caused both Stella and Brandon to return guarded. Now, the fear of losing Stella had caused Brandon to lower his guard more than he wanted to, making it easier for him to talk about her with Nabu. Brandon had tried very hard to see Stella as his enemy, but no matter how much he tried, the reality that anything could happen to Stella overwhelmed him.
"If she faces Darkar in those clothes, he won't care about being the lord of darkness, he'll be totally distracted, trust me." That ended Brandon's dialogue session right there. He shot Nabu a fierce look, implying that the only reason he didn't bury him right then and there was because the environment was unsuitable. Nabu grinned and turned forward, miming wiping invisible sweat from his forehead. "I hope I'm not the next corpse." This time, Brandon couldn't help but grin as he hissed again through his teeth, "You're safe for now."
As his gaze found Stella again, Brandon realized just how accurate Nabu's words were. If their enemies knew how much Stella's current attire affected Brandon, they could bring her pictures in those clothes to every battlefield and undoubtedly defeat Brandon. Sighing, he couldn't help but study Stella. Her hand, still wrapped in those string bracelets, rested on her leg, which was nervously bouncing. Her hair fell to her shoulders in waves, shimmering. He didn't even want to mention her body; his reaction was instant and inevitable, and once again, it didn't disappoint. Fortunately, his uniform was good at hiding any rising evidence. When Stella's gaze found Brandon, he struggled not to sigh.
Her amber eyes sparkled as she looked at him, and Brandon grappled with the weight of realizing how much he had missed that sparkle. He had pushed Stella away for too long, but he wasn't regretful because he had his reasons. And though things seemed calm now, he knew that no matter what, Stella and he wouldn't work. Their hatred was too blinding for it to work.