Chapter 183: A vision

Just as Alyssa predicted, Elvira was in a full blown panic mode. She paced around her room, wringing her hands as her mind raced, half expecting Dorian’s guards to barge in at any moment and drag her away.

She had been so sure her plan would work. Serena had told her to turn the whole situation around and pin the blame on Samantha; Dorian already despised his ex, so making her the enemy should have been easy.

She hadn’t counted on Alyssa intervening. Now she and Samantha were locked inside the Conclave alone, and only the goddess knew what they were discussing.

What else did Samantha know? Was she telling Alyssa everything right now?

She yanked violently at her hair until pain shot through her skull, but it did nothing to quell the panic and terror rising inside her.

"Goddess help me," she muttered under her breath, her hands trembling as she grabbed her phone and dialed Serena’s line. It was unreachable.

She swore silently and tossed the phone onto the bed. Calling Conri was out of the question; she wasn’t in the mood to hear him yell at her. All she could do was wait and see if Samantha actually spilled. But if she was going to burn today, she would make sure Samantha burned right alongside her.

Unable to sit still, she stepped out of the room and headed straight for the Conclave. If she had to eavesdrop to find out where she stood, so be it.

The living room was quiet, heavy with the gloomy silence left behind by André’s death.

She hurried down the hallway, nervously fingering the talisman around her neck. But just as she reached out to press her ear against the Conclave door, the latch clicked and it swung open.

She jumped back, forcing a quick, nervous smile as Alyssa stepped out with Samantha right behind her.

"L–Luna," she stammered, scrambling for an excuse. "I... I was just passing by."

Alyssa didn’t answer right away. Her face was completely unreadable, giving Elvira nothing to work with.

​"You don’t say," she said finally.

"I just wanted to apologize for being rude earlier," Elvira rushed to add, lowering her eyes. "I didn’t mean to keep interrupting you."

"You accused Samantha of drugging the food when you had no proof," Alyssa replied, her voice calm and steady. "Unless you have some now?"

"I don’t," Elvira shook her head, keeping her eyes lowered. "I’m so sorry. Given her history, she was just the only one I could think of. She had to be responsible."

"That still doesn’t give you the right to throw around accusations," Alyssa said. "I’m going to find out who drugged the food, no matter how long it takes."

"I understand, Luna." Elvira put on her best piteous facade. "I really am sorry."

"You should be," Alyssa muttered and started to walk away. But in a moment of desperation, Elvira reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Luna, wait..."

The moment their skin touched, Alyssa’s mind exploded with a vision. Her head snapped back, and the hallway dissolved in an instant. Elvira and Samantha vanished, and the world shifted around her.

She saw herself storming out of the study. Dorian was right behind her, looking strangely weak and unsteady. Then Elvira appeared, rushing up behind her with a silver dagger raised to strike.

Just as the blade swung down, someone grabbed Alyssa’s arm and shook her hard, snapping her back into reality with a harsh gasp of air.

She opened her eyes and she was back in the hallway. Samantha was holding her arm, both she and Elvira staring at her as if she had lost her mind. The loud ringing in her ears slowly faded as Samantha shook her again.

"Alyssa?" Samantha frowned, her voice laced with faint concern. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Alyssa couldn’t explain it. It wasn’t a dream or a vague feeling; it was a vision. Real, clear, and direct. A warning of what was coming.

She looked at Elvira, her eyes wide and wild with shock. Without a word, she pulled her arm free from Samantha’s grip and walked away as fast as she could.

Elvira watched her leave, a sudden chill settling in her chest. That look in Alyssa’s eyes wasn’t just fear–it meant something, and she didn’t like it.

But as Samantha tried to follow, she stepped sideways, blocking the pathway.

"Get out of my way!" Samantha snapped.

"What games are you playing, Samantha?" Elvira hissed, stepping in close. "You have the upper hand. You know my secret. Why didn’t you tell Alyssa when I accused you?"

"How do you know I didn’t?" Samantha shot back.

"Don’t take me for an idiot," Elvira snarled. "If you told her, the guards would be dragging me to the dungeons right now. So why keep quiet? Do you want a deal? If you keep your mouth shut, I can help you avenge your family."

Samantha stared at her for a second before letting out a cold, bitter laugh. "Fuck you, Elvira. I don’t care about whatever plans you have, or who you fuck in your free time."

She shoved Elvira out of her path. "As for accusing me today? You’ll pay for it soon enough. I promise you."

"I’d love to see you try," Elvira sneered, straightening her clothes. "Nobody here believes a word you say. But remember this; if you ever speak a word of my secret to anyone, I’ll make sure you join your dead family."

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and walked away with a triumphant smile.

Samantha watched her round the corner and disappear. Once she was out of sight, her expression hardened, a sharp sneer touching her lips.

"Game on, Elvira," she whispered to the empty hall. "You have no idea what’s coming."

...

Alyssa’s mind was racing, the vision looping behind her eyes until her head felt like it would explode.

It was the first real, clear vision she had ever experienced, different from the others. Elvira was going to try to kill her. She didn’t know when, but it was going to happen.

She hurried toward the study, intent on telling Dorian everything when she suddenly skidded to a halt.

"I can’t tell him," she whispered to herself, the thought registering in her mind. Not yet.

If Dorian knew Elvira was a threat to her life, he would lock her up instantly. The moment that happened, it would ruin Alyssa’s strategy to get evidence and she would lose her only lead to expose Conri.

She had to stick to the plan with Samantha. Watch Elvira’s every move, stay on her guard, and wait for her to slip up.