The Veil of Glass

Happy Birthday Nathaniel

Nathaniel Sinclaire.

Liora had known for a few days that Nathaniel's birthday was approaching. It was a fact she had noted with quiet anticipation, a key date she planned to use to her advantage. This was her chance to make an impression, to be more than just another face in the crowd. Tonight, she was going to Nathaniel's birthday party, and she was determined to use it as her opportunity.

He was different from Azazel, in a way that made him simpler. His emotions were so plain, so easy to read, unlike Azazel's cold, unreadable exterior. Nathaniel wore his heart on his sleeve, and that made him vulnerable. He was always the one waiting in the shadows, silently watching Clarissa, yearning for her attention, but never receiving it. Liora had observed him for a long time now. She knew what kind of girl he liked—someone like Clarissa.

Bold, confident, the center of attention. Girls like Clarissa could make a room light up with a single smile. And Nathaniel? He was helpless against that kind of charm. Liora understood that about him. He craved being noticed, to have someone look at him the way he looked at Clarissa. That's where Liora would come in. She'd make him feel special, wanted, and through him, she'd find her way deeper into the group. She didn't need Azazel just yet. Nathaniel would be her starting point.

But first, she had to become someone Nathaniel would notice—someone who could stand out in a crowd, not fade into the background like she usually did.

Liora glanced at her closet. It was filled with old, faded clothes—hand-me-downs from her aunt, Margaret, and her uncle, Harold. The betrayal still stung, sharp as ever. Her aunt and uncle had taken everything: the house, the money, the life that was supposed to be hers. And they treated her like an outsider in her own home, a reminder that she had no control over her life.

The anger was always there, simmering beneath the surface. It was what fueled her, drove her to seek power in any form she could find. But she knew power wasn't just in wealth—it was in manipulation, in control. And that's what she intended to do now.

Manipulate Nathaniel. Control him.

She needed Clarissa's help. She needed someone to transform her from the invisible wallflower into someone who could catch Nathaniel's eye. Liora's fingers hovered over her phone for a moment before she dialed Clarissa's number.

As she stood in front of her closet, Liora felt a pang of frustration. She didn't have much money to buy a gift, and with her strained financial situation, she couldn't afford to stand out with a grand gesture. But she wasn't going empty-handed. Clarissa, always the social butterfly, had invited her to the party as her plus-one. And tonight, she would be the one to help Liora make her mark.

"Hello?" Clarissa's bright voice came through the line, filled with energy as always.

"Hi, Clarissa, it's Liora," Liora said, trying to sound confident but feeling the nervous flutter in her chest. "I was wondering if you could help me out. I don't have anything to wear for tonight's event, and I thought you might have some ideas."

There was a brief pause on the other end before Clarissa's excited voice filled the silence. "Oh my god, of course! Come over, girl! We'll find something that'll make you look amazing!"

Liora let out a quiet breath. This was step one. She needed Clarissa to think they were becoming friends. She needed access to her world—to Nathaniel's world. And if she played this right, Clarissa would unknowingly help her get there.

"I'll be over in an hour," Liora said, her voice steady.

Before leaving, Liora paced her room, glancing around at the empty, lifeless walls that mirrored how she felt inside. This house wasn't a home—it was a prison. Her uncle Harold and aunt Margaret had taken everything from her, and they never let her forget it. Every little thing, from the clothes she wore to the food she ate, came with a price, a reminder that she was living on their terms.