Chapter 47: I Broke Rhea’s Direct Order—and Silvano Took My Side

Adrián parked Silvano’s car in the same spot in the underground garage of the Alastor building.

He turned off the engine.

Stayed still for a few seconds with both hands on the steering wheel.

"Okay."

He got out.

Started walking toward the elevator.

Before he reached it, the doors opened.

Ishtar was inside.

Awake now.

Already dressed—school uniform, red pigtails tied with very obvious haste, and for the first time in a week, no lollipop in her mouth.

Behind her, at the back of the elevator, stood Silvano.

Hands clasped behind his back.

Wearing the exact expression of a father who knew his son had screwed up badly but was going to defend him anyway.

Adrián stopped six feet from the elevator.

"..."

"Brother-in-law."

"Ishtar."

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, brother-in-law."

"I know."

"You know what?"

"That I fucked up."

"That you fucked up, brother-in-law. Yes."

She nodded emphatically.

"Very badly."

Adrián winced.

"Rhea woke me up at seven-twenty with a scream that could be heard three floors away."

"..."

"The lesser familiars in the hallway were shaking when I got to her office."

Ishtar raised one finger.

"Rhea broke a wineglass."

A second.

"Silvano had to stop her from breaking two more."

"..."

"And then she gave me the longest speech of my life about responsibility, trust, and surveillance protocols for newly reincarnated demons."

She rubbed one temple.

"It lasted twenty minutes."

"I can still hear it in my head."

"And now I’m awake at nine in the morning on a Tuesday when I should be in class."

Her eyes narrowed.

"And I’m not in class because I am technically guilty of gross negligence."

She pointed at him.

"And I am guilty of gross negligence because of you, brother-in-law."

"Sorry, Ishtar."

From the back of the elevator, Silvano cleared his throat.

"Ishtar. It wasn’t his fault. I allowed him to leave. I’ve already explained that to Rhea."

A pause.

"Three times."

"Silvano, I’m not blaming you."

She looked at Adrián.

"I’m blaming brother-in-law because brother-in-law knew I was responsible for watching him and still escaped while I was asleep."

Her arms crossed.

"It’s personal."

"Ishtar, if he had wanted to wake you, he wouldn’t have escaped."

Silvano remained perfectly calm.

"You sleep deeply. That is a biological fact."

"Silvano, don’t defend me. Defend brother-in-law."

"I’m defending both of you."

"You can’t defend both of us. That’s contradictory."

"I can."

Silvano gestured vaguely.

"Look. I’m doing it."

Adrián dragged a hand down his face.

"Guys."

"Yes, brother-in-law?"

"Can I get in the elevator?"

Ishtar stared at him.

Then let out a long sigh and stepped aside.

"Get in, brother-in-law."

Her expression turned grim.

"Rhea is waiting for us in her office."

Adrián stepped inside.

Silvano pressed the button for the thirtieth floor.

The doors closed.

The elevator began climbing.

Silence.

Only the faint hum of the mechanism.

Adrián glanced sideways at Ishtar.

She was staring straight at the doors.

Jaw slightly tense.

Arms still crossed.

"Ishtar."

"What?"

"Sorry."

"You already said that, brother-in-law."

"I’m saying it again."

She didn’t look at him.

"I’m sorry."

Adrián breathed.

"Seriously."

"I didn’t think about what would happen to you if I escaped. I was focused on Yuki."

A pause.

"I was selfish."

Ishtar said nothing for three floors.

Then, without turning her head:

"Brother-in-law."

"Yeah?"

"Was it worth it?"

Adrián breathed.

He thought about Yuki on the bench.

About the kiss.

About her honey-colored eyes full of tears.

About the four safety rules.

About her saying that it would happen again before she got into the cab.

"...Yeah."

A small pause.

"It was worth it."

"Good."

"..."

"Then next time you escape, tell me."

Adrián looked at her.

"I’ll go with you."

She finally glanced his way.

"I won’t let you go alone."

"And that way Rhea can’t yell at me for failing to stop you because I’ll technically be escaping with you."

"...Okay."

"Deal."

Adrián smiled faintly.

At the back of the elevator, Silvano smiled too.

Quietly.

Like someone recognizing a scene he had already witnessed in several different forms over the course of three centuries.

The elevator stopped on the thirtieth floor.

The doors opened.

The hallway on the thirtieth floor looked different from the one where Adrián’s room was located.

Wider.

Darker.

Dark wood paneling instead of stone walls.

Only one painting hung at the far end—

a massive oil portrait of a woman with wine-red hair and golden eyes whom Adrián assumed was an Alastor ancestor from two or three centuries ago.

At the end of the hallway stood a pair of dark oak doors with bronze handles.

The office.

The three of them walked toward it.

Ishtar took a deep breath.

Adjusted both red pigtails.

Then looked at Adrián.

"Brother-in-law."

"Yeah?"

"If you’re going to say something, say it directly."

"Rhea hates people who dance around the point."

She lifted a finger.

"And do not lie to her."

"Ever."

"She’ll catch any lie in three seconds."

"Okay."

"Silvano."

"Yes, Ishtar?"

"You breathe too."

Silvano raised an eyebrow.

"You’re pale."

"Ishtar, I’m three hundred years old. I don’t go pale."

"You’re pale."

"I’m not pale."

"Silvano."

A pause.

"...I’m pale."

The three of them stood outside the door for several seconds.

Adrián raised one hand.

Knocked twice.

Silence.

Then Rhea’s voice came from inside.

Perfectly clear.

Perfectly calm.

Perfectly dangerous.

"Come in."

Adrián pushed the door open.

And on the other side—

with morning sunlight pouring through the thirtieth-floor windows and both hands braced against the window frame, her back turned toward them—

stood Rhea Alastor.

The office was enormous.

A towering ceiling.

Walls covered from floor to ceiling in books.

A black wooden desk in the center, with documents arranged perfectly into two neat stacks and an empty wineglass resting off to one side.

Deep green leather chairs surrounded a low table where another tarot deck had been spread across black cloth.

Two floor-to-ceiling windows covered the entire far wall.

And standing in front of them—

back to the door—

both hands resting against the frame of an open window—

was Rhea Alastor.

Looking out over the city.

She didn’t turn around when they entered.

"Adrián."

"...Rhea."

"Come in."

A pause.

"Close the door."

Adrián closed it.

Silvano and Ishtar entered behind him.

All three stopped several feet from the desk.

Rhea continued staring out the window.

"Vega."

"Yeah, Rhea?"

"Tell me what happened."

Her voice was quiet.

"From the beginning."

"No dancing around it."

"No omissions."

She finally added:

"Everything."

Adrián breathed.

"Yuki texted me last night. She said she needed to talk to me. That it was important."

Rhea didn’t move.

"I told her yes."

"I woke up at six-thirty."

"I left my room without waking Ishtar."

"There were no lesser familiars in the hallway."

"I took the elevator down."

"Silvano intercepted me."

Rhea remained still.

"Silvano."

"Yes, Mistress?"

"You lent him your car?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Knowing that I had given an explicit order that he was not allowed to leave the building?"

"Yes, Mistress."

A long silence.

"Silvano."

"Yes?"

"Explain why."

Silvano stepped forward twice.

Crossed his arms.

And spoke with the calm, instructional tone Adrián had already learned to recognize.

"Mistress, with all due respect, the boy was going to escape with or without my help."

Rhea said nothing.

"I preferred that he do it in a vehicle I could track rather than on foot, where he could disappear completely."

He continued.

"Additionally, the human he intended to meet had just sent him a message saying the matter was important."

Silvano’s expression remained calm.

"Given his current emotional state, forcing him to ignore that message would have put him in a worse condition than allowing him to go."

"..."

"And also, Mistress."

Silvano paused.

"I was young once."

"And I escaped once too."

Rhea’s shoulders shifted almost imperceptibly.

"And you know that."

Silvano’s voice softened.

"Because you were there."

Rhea finally turned her head.

Only slightly.

Just enough for Adrián to see her profile.

And the expression on her face was something he had never seen before.

Not anger.

Not exactly.

Something heavier.

Something older.

Like exhaustion that had been carrying centuries.