Page 94 of Semper

The storm in her head had to match the calm of the Isle. When I came back to her, when I reminded her that I would never leave, she’d fall completely. She’d give herself to me entirely.

As we started to disperse, each of us with a task to complete, the sky began to clear. The Isle, always watching, always knowing, seemed to settle further. The storm had passed, and now it was time to prepare for the future. In four days, Lolitawould stand beside me, not just as my Sponsa Diaboli, but as the mother of my child—the future of Stygian Isle. She would know without question that there was no world in which she didn’t belong to me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

It had been two days since I’d seen Alexander. Two long, silent, agonizing days.

At first, I thought it was simply a brief separation after everything that had happened with Nicolette. I told myself he was busy, caught up in something that required his full attention, but that didn’t stop the gnawing sense that something was off. Alexander’s work was never-ending, but he always made time for me. The moments we shared, however fleeting, had become the foundation of my new reality.

So where was he now?

It was clear this was something more.

The flowers in my room hadn’t been exchanged since he left. They were already beginning to wilt at a rapid pace, petals falling, their once vibrant color draining. Alexander had been the one to personally swap them out each morning. It was always him. He liked to do it himself, insisting that no one else could choose the perfect bloom. I had grown accustomed to the subtle routine of waking up to fresh flowers, knowing they were placed by his hand. But now, nothing.

I wandered the halls, looking for some trace of him. The house felt eerily still. No distant murmur of his voice, no sign of the life he breathed into these walls. I searched for something—anything that would tell me where he had gone, but every room felt as empty as the last. No notes, no whispered promises. Just silence.

By the third night, I found myself on the rear deck, staring out at the lake.

The water stretched out before me, calm but dark, as if it, too, was holding onto some unspoken secret. I looked across to the lighthouse, its rotating beam cutting through the night in steady intervals.

Did he think I was going to run away that day?

The thought haunted me as I stood there, the cool night air brushing against my skin. Was this his way of testing me? Had he seen something in me during that chaotic day—something that made him question my loyalty? I could still feel the weight of his absence, an ache that settled deep inside me. He had become everything. I didn’t even realize how much until now. The longer he was gone, the more I craved him, needed him, and without him, the emptiness gnawed at me. It was unsettling how quickly he’d consumed my world, how deeply his presence had rooted itself inside me.

I glanced back at the house, expecting him to appear, but all I saw was the warm lights through the windows. It was late, and still no sign of him.

Has he been watching?

I didn’t want to admit it, but I was beginning to lose track of what was real and what was just in my head. As I stood on the deck, I thought I heard his voice again. I had conjured his voice so many times over the past few days. He was all I could think about. Him and this baby. The hairs on my neck stood on end as I heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps behind me,deliberate and familiar. Slowly, I turned around, my heart racing as my eyes locked on him.

He stood there, just a few feet away, his posture relaxed, his gaze burning through me. The air around him felt heavy, thick with tension.

“You’re… you’re here,” I stammered, unable to hide the desperation in my voice. It sounded pathetic even to my own ears.

He tilted his head, a small, calculated smile forming on his lips. "Didn’t I promise you I’d come back?"

His voice was smooth, almost soothing, but it was laced with something darker. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my thoughts straight. "You did," I whispered.

He took a step closer, the weight of his gaze pinning me in place. His proximity sent a familiar thrill through my body, but beneath that, there was an undeniable fear. His presence was overwhelming, as it always was, but now it felt… colder.

"You’ve been waiting for me, haven’t you?" he asked, his voice a low murmur, almost a caress.

I nodded; my throat tight. "I… I didn’t know where you were."

"I know," he said, his tone softening as he reached out, his fingers trailing along the side of my face. The touch was almost tender, but there was a possessiveness in it, a reminder that I was his. "You’ve been lost without me, haven’t you?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. The truth was too raw, too vulnerable. I had been lost. Without him, everything that grounded me here had unraveled, and he knew it.

"You think I left you because you did something wrong?" he continued, his thumb brushing over my lips as if testing the weight of my silence.

I blinked up at him, struggling to breathe, to find my voice. "I—" My words faltered as his touch became more insistent.

"But you were good," he continued his breath warm against my skin as he leaned closer. "Weren’t you, my pet? You stayed here, waiting for me.”

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. His approval, even now, was like a lifeline.

"You proved something to me," he said, his voice growing darker. "You showed me exactly where you belong."