Page 77 of Semper

I couldn’t faceher.

With a sharp breath, I turned away from the mirror, refusing to look at myself, my pulse racing in my ears. My reflection wouldn’t just show my face—it would show everything I was struggling to keep inside. The questions, the confusion, the growing connection to a place and a man I had just barely began to understand. I took a shaky breath, leaning back against the cool bathroom wall, the sound of the running water fading into the background.

My mind was racing, but the realization of what I’d just learned sat heavy in my chest.Alexander and I—We were family. Not strangers, not lovers who just happened to find each other.

It wasn’t a complete shock. Alexander had alluded to it more than once. I’d tried to find the connection. I just hadn’t known how deep the connection went. So many times, he told me we were bound by something more than his obsession, something that had always tied me to the Isle. I couldn’t deny that I knew it would be something like this. Now, the truth felt strange, but not as horrifying as I thought it would be. Maybe it was becauseI had already accepted so much about him—his darkness, his ruthlessness, his role asDiabolus.

The family aspect was just another piece of the puzzle, another facet of the twisted world I had been pulled into. The fact that we shared blood made this all feel inevitable, like we had been destined for this from the start. I let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through my hair. I should’ve been disgusted or scared. Instead, I felt conflicted. Why hadn’t he just told me? He had kept this from me, knowing full well what it would mean.

It wasn’t just the Isle that had claimed me; it was my blood, my family. My thoughts circled back to everything that had happened between us, how deeply he had intwined himself into my life, my mind, my heart. I gripped the sink again, squeezing my eyes shut. What did this mean for us now? Did it mean anything at all in the grand scheme of things?

No matter how much I wrestled with this revelation, it didn’t change the way I felt about him. There’d been something pulling us together from the very beginning, transcending the boundaries of right and wrong. Just as my thoughts spiraled deeper into the unsettling truth about Alexander and me, something caught my eye—a small piece of paper slipping beneath the door. I froze, staring at it, my mind immediately wonderingAdelita?

No. Adelita wouldn’t risk something like this, not now. She may have warned me long ago, but it was clear she loved her son—Alexander.She wouldn’t betray him again.

Heart pounding, I snatched the paper up, my fingers trembling slightly as I unfolded it. The handwriting was unfamiliar, and the message left me reeling.

I know how to help you.

1 week at Elmsworth Market. Row T4.

Confusion washed over me, my mind racing.Who wrote this?My pulse quickened, suspicion creeping in. This was adangerous game, and I had no idea who had just pulled me into it. Without wasting another second, I tossed the paper into the toilet and flushed, watching as it swirled away, gone before anyone could trace it back to me. I couldn’t afford to hold on to it, not in this house.

I turned back to the sink, splashing cool water on my face, the chill seeping into my skin as I forced myself to breathe. One deep breath in, then another. My reflection blurred in the mirror, but I kept my eyes trained on the water, the sound grounding me in the moment.

I turned the sink off and patted my face dry, knowing I couldn’t hide out in the bathroom, no matter how luxurious it was. My heart was still racing, the message on the note haunting me, but I couldn’t let it show. I took one more deep breath, bracing myself, and pulled the door open. I took one last breath, trying to collect myself, and opened the door. I nearly jumped when I saw Esther leaning against the wall. Her expression was calm, though something about the way she was waiting for me stirred up a new kind of tension inside me.

"Have you been there the whole time?" I asked, trying to sound casual, but my voice came out more uncertain than I’d meant.

Esther laughed softly, shaking her head. "No, I was about to knock."

"Oh." I stepped out, feeling the unspoken heaviness between us.

She moved forward and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug.

It wasn’t unusual for her to be affectionate, but this... this was different. There was a desperation in the way she clung to me that caught me off guard.

"Don’t leave us, Lo," she murmured, her voice so low it was a whisper. "Don’t leave me."

I froze, the meaning of her words sinking in.She knew.Esther had seen whoever left the note, but she wasn’t saying anything. Her grip on me tightened for just a moment, and I realized she was begging me to stay—not just with the family, but with her. She pulled back, her smile returning as if nothing had happened. “Come on, it’s time for dessert.”

I nodded, following her down the hall, my mind still racing. We entered a cozy dining room, where everyone else had already gathered. Emilio sat at the far end of the table, talking animatedly with Bishop, a glass of wine in his hand.

The mood was lighter than I’d expected, too light considering the weight of what I’d just learned. As soon as I stepped into the room, I felt Alexander’s eyes on me. His gaze was always intense, but now, knowing what I did, it felt like a constant reminder of the ties that bound us—ties I hadn’t fully understood until tonight. He smiled when he saw me, but it wasn’t the kind of smile that eased tension. It was the kind that pulled you in, made you forget everything except him.

In the center of the table was a massive double chocolate cake, decadent and rich, the scent filling the air. Draven leaned back in his chair, his arm casually draped around Adelita, a proud grin on his face. “Best cakes on the Isle,” he boasted, looking at his wife with open admiration.

She smiled at him affectionately, her eyes softening as she met his gaze. It was a side of her I hadn’t seen yet—more vulnerable.

The woman who had once warned me about her son now seemed perfectly at ease in her role as wife and mother. It was a strange contrast, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it. Alexander approached me with that same unwavering focus, his presence commanding the room without even trying. He moved closer, his hand finding its way to the small of my back, guiding metoward the table with that same possessive touch I had grown used to.

His fingers lingered, warm against my skin, and I couldn’t help but feel the slight shift in our dynamic now that I knew the truth.Family. It felt twisted and wrong, yet the connection between us hadn’t lessened. If anything, it had only deepened. He pulled out a chair for me, his eyes never leaving mine as I sat down. Emilio, seated across from us, raised his glass in a mock toast. “Took you long enough,” he teased, his easy grin lighting up the room.

“I had to freshen up,” I replied, forcing a small smile, though my mind was still buzzing. Emilio and Alexander exchanged a look—one I couldn’t quite decipher—before Alexander took his seat beside me. He served us both a slice of cake, as was our habit, sliding the plate between us as if we were the only two in the room.

I glanced around the table, noticing the casual way they all interacted, like this was just another family gathering. Bishop was cracking a joke with Esther, who rolled her eyes playfully but couldn’t suppress a grin. Draven and Adelita whispered quietly to each other, lost in their own world.

The conversation ebbed and flowed around me, and for the first time in a while, I didn’t feel like an outsider. Alexander’s arm rested on the back of my chair, his thumb brushing the edge of my shoulder in gentle, possessive strokes.