Nepenthe • Something that can make you forget grief or suffering.
Never feeling like they belonged was a feeling that Lissa Dragomir lived with, even with her family and life long best friend, although they aided in that feeling not being so strong...
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Dimitri left the Hall shortly after Kate did, but those precious moments between their exits were enough for him to miss her completely. What unsettled him most was the way she had left: the tension in her shoulders when he'd sat down beside her, the way she stood and walked out before him, and the silent drop of his duster to the floor, abandoned between them. She hadn't stepped on it, hadn't sneered—but she hadn't picked it up either. For Kate, who was usually so deliberate, so precise, the gesture had gnawed at him.
Now, confusion warred with worry in his chest. Had he done something to push her away? Or had Tasha's venom reached her in some way he couldn't yet see?
The Lodge's wide corridors were quiet compared to the chaos he'd just left behind. He scanned the crowd, but her dark hair and familiar stance were nowhere to be found.
Instead, his eyes caught Diana, standing near the door with Alec nestled in her arms. The boy stirred as if sensing Dimitri's gaze, his small fingers curling against Diana's shoulder.
"Where's Kate?" Dimitri asked, his voice lower than usual, though the tension in it was unmistakable.
Diana hesitated, her lips parting before she seemed to think better of her first answer. Finally, she sighed. "She handed him to me before walking outside."
Dimitri's brows drew together, but he nodded once, carefully. "Did she say why?"
"No," Diana admitted, shifting Alec slightly as the toddler fussed. "Is... everything alright?"
Dimitri looked at the boy, then at Diana. He wanted to answer honestly, but the words stuck in his throat. "I don't know," he confessed finally, the admission feeling heavier than any weapon he'd ever carried.
Diana studied him for a moment, then tilted her head. "You know, I don't regret threatening Tasha."
That startled a faint flicker of something in him—relief, gratitude, maybe even pride. He inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Thank you," he said simply, but the words carried more weight than usual, his tone threaded with sincerity.
Diana smiled faintly before letting Alec slide into his arms. Dimitri accepted the boy with the same care he handled his weapons, adjusting his hold until Alec settled against his chest. Then, with a last nod to Diana, he turned and headed toward the room that had been converted into their war room.
Once inside, the low fire crackled in the corner, throwing warmth against the cold shadows. Dimitri lowered himself into a chair, Alec perched on his knee. The boy cooed softly, fingers reaching for the buttons of his duster.
