AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Leo draws back. He must sense something’s wrong.
“Leo, I… I need…”
The words catch in my throat, trapped by the tendrils of anxiety that coil within me. Leo's eyes, perceptive and understanding, meet mine, and without a word, he beckons me to a seat. The sanctuary of his office becomes a haven, a momentary respite from the shadows that threaten to consume me.
“Breathe, Olivia,” he instructs calmly. “In and out. You're safe here.”
His words become a lifeline, guiding me through the storm of panic. In the quiet refuge of his office, the walls loosen their grip, and the air becomes less suffocating.
Slowly, the panic subsides.
Leo rubs my back. “Did the party bring this on?”
Of course Dante told him about it. Or maybe he uncovered the details himself.
“Ah, maybe,” I murmur.
“What else?” He smooths back my hair.
I stare at one of his scars. Who gave it to him? Why? Does that person still live? Or are they maimed too?
His scars give him a dangerous air, and there can be dangerous glints in his eyes, but Leo won’t harm me.
Not unless I do something against him or his.
Until then, I’m his.
“Talk to me,” he says gently.
“Some of it…” I swallow hard. “Some of it might be that I haven’t been able to leave this building.”
He slowly nods. “Come with me.”
Guiding me gently, Leo leads the way to the bar section of the Golden Tap. The ambient murmur of voices, the clinking of glasses, and the warm glow of the bar's lights offer a stark contrast to the confined silence of the sanctuary. Surrounded by the hum of life, I find a momentary reprieve from the weight of the shadows.
“Thank you, Leo,” I say softly.
In the company of the patrons, I breathe in the semblance of normalcy, the facade of a life left behind. Leo's silent support becomes a reassurance in the night, a reminder that even within the shadows, moments of respite can be found.
Amidst the muted symphony of conversations and clinking glasses at the Golden Tap's bar, I find myself drawn into the ebb and flow of life beyond the Obsidian Shadows. The once-familiar cadence of laughter and camaraderie becomes a soothing backdrop, momentarily eclipsing the shadows that cling to my existence.
Engaging with the patrons, I allow myself to be immersed in the semblance of normalcy, shedding the weight of secrecy for a brief moment. Conversations unfold like echoes from a forgotten time, and the laughter, genuine and unburdened, intertwines with the soft music playing in the background.
A stranger smiles at me. “You’re new around here, aren’t you?”
I smile back. For once, the weight of my hidden identity feels lighter, and the mask I wear becomes more bearable.
“You could say that.”
The exchange, though brief, is a testament to the transformative power of these stolen moments. In the company of strangers, I rediscover fragments of my old self, the self that once reveled in the simple joys of conversation and shared laughter.
As the night unfolds, the Golden Tap's patrons become unwitting accomplices in a charade of normalcy. The facade is delicate, yet in their company, I find a fleeting reprieve from the shadows that relentlessly pursue. For a brief interlude, I am not merely a denizen of the clandestine, but a participant in the dance of life, savoring the echoes of the person I used to be.
nineteen
The gentle murmur of the Golden Tap's bar retreats as Leo guides me back through the corridors to the seclusion of my room. The familiar comfort of the hidden sanctuary awaits, a cocoon of shadows that envelops me as I say a soft goodnight to Leo and then get ready for bed.
Maybe things will look better in the morning.
