Dawn’s first light found Lumi sat atop the pleasurehouse’s tallest balcony. The morning chill bit at her flesh, her thin shall doing little against the damp breeze. The red giant clawed its way over the horizon, its bloodshot rays spilling over the city below.

  Gulls cried above the docks, their calls mingling with the shouts of merchants setting up their stalls. Lumi felt detached from reality as she sat stiff-backed beside Lady Sol. Her gaze locked on the mist clinging to the marble railing. Droplets gathered, trailing down in deliberate paths before vanishing into the void below.

  Lady Sol poured their tea with practiced precision, steam curling as the amber liquid filled delicate porcelain cups. Without a word, she slid one towards Lumi.

  “I’m not thirsty this morning,” Lumi said.

  For a heartbeat, Lady Sol paused. It may have gone unnoticed by anyone else, but Lumi saw it. Felt it. The lady set her cup down with a clink, her smile deepening in a way that made Lumi’s stomach turn.

  “Not thirsty?” Sol purred, “That’s unlike you.”

  “I overindulged last night,” Lumi lied.

  “Ah, of course,” Lady Sol expelled a whimsical giggle, “Tell me, Lumi, howwasyour night?”

  Heat flooded Lumi’s cheeks. Her mind flickered back to the bedchamber—those lips, that tongue, his intimate rasp. She could still feel his caress, a phantom touch she couldn’t shake. She shoved it down, burying those memories.

  “Fine,” Lumi muttered.

  “Fine?” Sol’s brow arched, “You know there’s nothing you can hide from me.”

  A cold shiver ran down Lumi’s spine. She hadn’t considered the lady’s ability to see into her memories. The possibility of Sol touching her in that way, learning everything she’d kept hidden, sent a jolt of panic through her.

  Before Sol could reach for her and see what she wasn’t ready to show, Lumi blurted, “It was good.”

  “Tell me about it. Don’t spare any details.”

  Lumi swallowed hard, the weight of her confession thick in the air. She described the night—the emperor’s anger over her scar being covered, their argument, the tension that had built between them. She even included the moments she’d hoped to bury—the way he touched her, and her mortifying reaction to his ministrations.

  She left out the emperor’s request regarding their morning tea, left out the map to the Kingdom of Dracule. Those secrets at least, remained hers alone.

  When she was done, the blush on her face was impossible to hide. Lady Sol’s smirk only deepened, her orbs shining with satisfaction.

  “I’m thrilled you’ve found his company…stimulating. You’ll be pleased, then, to know your presence has been requested for another night.”

  Lumi felt the blood drain from her face, “What?”

  “The emperor has extended his patronage. Generously, I might add.” Lady Sol set her cup down with a soft clink, her gaze sharp as glass. “You’ll attend to him again tonight.”

  “I—” Lumi faltered, her chest tightening. “I thought our arrangement was for one night only.”

  Sol’s smile never wavered, “You thought wrong.”

  The words hung heavy in the morning chill. Lumi looked away, her jaw wound tight. She wanted to argue, but what could she say? She was nothing but a piece on a playing board. A pawn. As long as she remained in this place, that’s all she would ever be.

  Her fingers absently toyed with the lining of her shall. Rook requested another night with her? What for? He was obsessed with her. It was unhealthy. Twisted, even.

  But what disturbed her more was that she wasn’t angry. Not really. Something stirred inside her—a flash of excitement. She quelled it instantly, disgusted by it. She shouldn’t feel this way. She wasn’t supposed to enjoy being his possession, his prize, his pet.

  It was ghastly, and utterly beneath her. She should loathe him. And yet…the flicker of delight lingered.

  “May I be excused?”

  “Drink your tea, Lumi,” Sol commanded, placing the teacup firmly in the palm of her hand, “You’ll feel better once you do. Besides, we have much to discuss.”

  Lumi stared down at the amber liquid, its steam swirling up in delicate tendrils, beckoning her to partake. She couldn’t—shewouldn’t. The gnawing sensation beneath her ribs would not ease until she knew the truth.

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  Her gaze flickered to the potted plants at the balcony’s edge. One of the large ceramic pots stood just within reach. An idea struck her.

  “What more is there to discuss? I told you everything.”

  She tipped her tea over the edge of the cup, watching the liquid spill into the soil below.

  “The emperor has shown interest in one of my girls. This is a rare opportunity. I want you to learn about him—everything you can.”

  “What do you mean, everything?”

  Lumi raised the porcelain to her lips, pretending to swallow the bitter tea in one quick gulp.

  Sol leaned back slightly, “His motivations. His weaknesses. His secrets. I want you to be my eyes and ears.”

  Lumi’s fingers tightened around the delicate porcelain, her knuckles paling. “You want me to spy on him.”

  “Precisely,” Sol’s voice was smooth as silk.

  “And what do I get out of it?”

  “I’ll make certain you’re well compensated for your efforts.”

  Lumi’s pulse quickened. She saw her chance and took it, “You will tell me who I am. You’ll tell me where I came from, and why I don’t remember.”

  Sol’s eyes flashed, her smile faltering for a heartbeat, “You have a lot of nerve, Lumi.”

  They stared at each other, the tension thick enough to suffocate. Lumi’s blood coursed like fire in her veins. Their battle of wits persisted. Lady Sol broke first.

  “Alright. Bring me the information I seek and I will tell you who you are.”

  Triumph washed over her, but the taste turned bitter on her tongue. Another night with the emperor. Another night of being laid bare beneath him. She would have no choice but to let him strip away whatever fragile dignity still remained.

  But she had no choice. Defeat was not an option. To refuse was to surrender everything. The pieces of her, scattered like ash in the wind, would remain lost forever if she didn’t play the game.

  She squeezed her eyes shut. There was no escaping this wretched path she had chosen. She would endure. For now.

  The emperor would haunt her for another night, but she would survive it. She had to. She had no other choice.

  ***

  By midmorning, Lumi felt like she was unraveling. She trudged through the bustling streets, hoping the fresh air would clear her mind. But the city was alive with chaos, and it only fed the noise inside her. The clamor of merchants, the creak of wheels on cobblestones, the murmur of passerby—it blurred into a cacophony that clawed at her sanity.

  And beneath it all, something worse.

  It started out faint. A strange thrum that grew with each passing moment. At first, she dismissed it to hunger, or fatigue—she hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night, and the only food she’d eaten was the skewer she bought at the market the day before. She had no coin to buy more, no gem to her name.

  By noon, it became unbearable. Her skull felt like it might crack open. When she found herself in a particularly large crowd, she swore she could hear the heartbeats of those surrounding her. Fast, slow, frantic, calm——a maddening symphony she couldn’t drown out.

  Fingers trembling, she ducked into an alleyway, pressing her hands against the rough stone wall, hoping to anchor herself.

  “What is wrong with me?” her voice was barely audible over the relentless thrum.

  The answer did not come. The pounding only grew louder. She pushed off the wall and fled, weaving through the streets until the pleasurehouse loomed before her.

  She stumbled into her room, seeking refuge in isolation. She slammed the door shut and sagged against the wood. But solitude gave her no relief. Her head throbbed violently, pulse hammering in her throat.

  Eventually, she collapsed onto the bed and passed out.

  When she awoke hours later, the pounding was gone.

  But something else had taken its place. A different sensation she couldn’t quite describe. It was cold, ancient…alive. It curled through the empty spaces of her mind.

  Lumi, my sweet,a man’s voice rumbled, dark and intimate,how I have missed you.

  She bolted upright, heart racing. Her eyes darted wildly across the room, scanning every shadow, every corner. There was no one there, nothing out of place.

  Was she going mad?

  You’re perfectly sane, lovely.

  “Who’s there?” she demanded.

  Do not fret,the voice purred,we are old friends.

  She spun around, desperate to find the source. But the room remained the same: four walls, empty, silent.

  The realization struck her like a blow. The voice wasn’t coming from the room—it was inside her.

  Inside her mind.

  She staggered backwards, hitting the wall. Her vision swam as she sank to the ground. The pounding returned, a jagged rhythm that made her lose her breath. She clutched at her temples, nails digging into her scalp.

  “Who are you?” she gasped.

  I am you.The words slithered through her mind like a thousand whispers.And you are me.

  “I don’t understand.”

  Call me what you like.

  “Why are you in my head?”

  Because, my sweet—we are one. I’ve always been here, but the tea made me nothing but an echo.

  Her blood ran cold. Lady Sol’s tea. Rook had been right. The tea had done something to her, kept something locked away. Now, without it, the walls were crumbling.

  “Get out,” she forced strength into her voice, “Get out of my head!”

  A chuckle rippled through her mind.Why would I leave, Lumi? I belong here. Just as you do.

  “No,” her hands balled into fists, “No. This isn’t real. You’re not real.”

  I’m real, Lumi. You’ve felt me before, haven’t you? In the rage that burned too hot, and the strength that came too easily. I have always been with you, even when you couldn’t hear me.

  “What are you?”

  I am the part of you Lady Sol tried to bury. The part she fears. And now I am yours again.

  Lumi shook her head, fighting the rising tide of panic, “I don’t want this.”

  Liar.The word was uttered with a cutting edge.You crave it. The power. The control. The freedom to be more than what they’ve made you.

  “I don’t understand.”

  A knock at the door startled her. She flinched, suddenly aware of the darkness outside her window. Night had fallen.

  And the emperor awaited.

  Do not fret, Lumi. I will keep us safe.

  Lumi caught a glimpse of herself in the cracked mirror hanging crookedly on her wall. Her reflection stood motionless, yet something about it felt off. The shadowed hollow of her eyes seemed deeper, darker, as if something ancient stirred beneath.

  The voice curled through her mind again, low and coaxing.Go on, Lumi. He is waiting.

  One thing was certain—what waited beyond her door wasn’t as terrifying as what might have already changed within.