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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Kate arrived at Adrian's "sleepover" with her damp hair pulled back and Dimitri's oversized sweater draped over her frame. She looked softer, steadier—so much less haunted than when she had stormed out of the Hall earlier. The shift was subtle, but noticeable enough that heads turned.
Whispers hushed as she stepped inside. Confusion flickered across a few faces, like they weren't sure if this was the same Kate they had seen that morning. But at the sight of her, Lissa and Viktoria exchanged a small, knowing look of relief, both understanding without words: Kate and Dimitri had made up and everything was fine again.
Kate settled into the open space between the two of them on the couch. Without hesitation, Lissa leaned against her left shoulder, Viktoria against her right, as if both had been waiting all night for this exact moment. Kate smiled faintly, letting her arms rest comfortably around them, the kind of quiet embrace that came as natural as breathing.
Next to Lissa and looking at Kate, Christian arched a brow, his expression less confusion and more something brotherly, tinged with worry. He didn't say a word, but the way he watched her said enough. Kate caught his gaze, and instead of flinching from the unspoken question, she gave him a small, reassuring smile.
That was when Adrian, sprawled far too casually across the armchair, clapped his hands once, drawing every eye his way. His grin was sharp, amused, and more than a little mischievous.
"Well, well, well. Look who decided to grace us with her presence. Little Dhampir, the party was about to lose all credibility without you." His gaze swept the group before sparkling with mock innocence. "Now, we should play spin the bottle, or maybe strip poker. You are all of age, right? I may be accurately accused of being many things, but a pervert and child lover is not one of them."
Kate didn't roll her eyes the way most of them probably expected. Instead, she sat up just a little straighter, her lips twitching into something halfway between amusement and challenge. "Legally? I'm the only one here who's eighteen. The rest of you are still sixteen and seventeen."
For a beat, silence blanketed the room as everyone blinked, then turned slowly toward Adrian.
His brows shot up, smirk faltering just enough to show genuine surprise. "Well," he drawled, recovering quickly, "looks like I'll be sticking to vodka instead of poker, then. My reputation is scandalous enough without you lot dragging me into prison territory."
Lissa and Viktoria both burst into quiet laughter against Kate's shoulders, the tension in the room easing. Kate only shook her head, her smile lingering—not wide, but warm, the kind of smile that made her look almost like herself again.
