Draped in darkness, the icy afternoon was squeezing all warmth out of Lita's home. Inside, an elegant gathering was on in progress. The guests were exchanging low murmurs and hushes, barely audible above the rustle of fashion statements.
The distinguished visitor seemed an apparition in her deep violet gown, almost angelic in the transparent veil shrouding her face. The slow and regal manner in which she moved screamed importance, yet it was impossible to fathom what the importance in question could have been.
Madam Valliere was not noticeably affected; yet Lita could see an unusual tension flicker in her mother's eye, not something usually given away by such an emotionless woman. Chitchat went back and forth between the two, polite and calm, but somehow charged with an unknown weight that Lita, from her window, was unable to decipher.
After what seemed an eternity, Madam Valliere began to gesture toward the mansion, and they were in motion, walking inside. The visitor's crossing of the threshold into the home sent a thrill down Lita's spine, her entrance marking the drawing of deep shadows across the dimly lit space.
Her outfit was impeccable. The flowing violet gown was embroidered in silver, and the veil swayed ever so lightly with her movements.
There was elegance, too, but it was accompanied by an unsettling aura, as if she were the very subject holding the room's attention. Though it seemed Lita could not see the guest's face, she felt her penetrating gaze glancing through the veil, a heavy, watchful feeling that seemed to sweep across the room.
From her post beside the window, Lita discreetly watched. By now, her mother had taken the guest further into the mansion, and their voices fell silent again. The doors clanging heavily behind them locked the two women within whatever confines were discussed.
In the shadows, Flare silently witnessed what had given Lita an uneasy feeling; all she could see was Sylana, the aura of eminent danger Bruce could sense. Back in the hall, Lita stood still, trying to catch her breath. Who is this woman?
The visit had been surreal, what else could she say? Why had her mother been so secretive about it? Every instinct in Lita screamed that this guest was tied to secrets—as much of whom Lita would never know: secrets directly tied to the blackest past of the Valliere family.
Foreboding washed over her as Lita stared after them as they entered into the mansion. What could possibly change their world behind those closed doors? She just was not sure whether or not she was ready to know what lay behind Sylana's veil.
The air in the room lightened as the two women continued their conversation until finally Madam Valliere glanced up the staircase toward Lita, watching from a distance in the shadows.
"Lita, come down here,"
her mother ordered. The tone relaxed but firm.
After a moment of hesitation and with a heart pounding in panic, Lita moved down the stairs. She could feel the veiled woman's gaze on her, a stare that seemed to pierce through her. With a gesture, her mother beckoned the guest.
"This is my elder sister, Lita,"
her mother said smoothly.
"Also your aunty."
The shock of the revelation registered in Lita's mind. Before this, she had never heard of her aunt; her mind was swirling with questions. The visitor slowly lifted her veil to reveal a mesmerizingly beautiful woman with pale skin and sharp crystalline eyes. Almost ethereally beautiful, but there was a coldness that followed her. The atmosphere chilled.
The woman smiled, and her lips curled warmly, though it was an unsettling sight.
"So, here is my little niece,"
she spoke softly, though her voice was tinged with ice.
"My name is Sylana."
Sylana, Lita's aunt, placed her hands on Lita's cheeks, and it felt like being touched by ice. Lita shivered with the sensation that went through her; a chill had crept into her bones. Sylana's smile widened, an expression of satisfaction reflected in her eyes.
"What a precious face,"
Sylana murmured, an odd mixture of fondness and something else that was darker came across with her words.
"I have heard so much about you, little one, and now I finally get to meet you."
Lita tried to smile, but she could barely bear the coldness of Sylana's touch. Sylana's hands lingered just a moment longer on Lita's cheeks and then fell away, though it felt like the chill remained long after the sensation of touch had faded.
Madam Valliere observed with a still, inscrutable expression.
"Sylana has come a long way to see us,"
she said, tightly restrained.
"It is not every day she leaves her domain."
"Of course,"
Sylana said, glancing quickly at her sister before focusing intently on Lita.
"Yet for family, I will always make the trip."
The uneasiness would not leave Lita's mind. It was true: Sylana was hands-down beautiful and graceful, but that cold touch and keen gaze left Lita uncomfortable. What kind of powers did her aunt have? And why was she here now, after all these years of no contact?
Standing there, the coldness lingering on her cheeks from Sylana's icy touch, Lita felt something like panic begin to blossom in her chest. Sylana's warmth, on the surface, held something else in it—sharpness in her gaze, an evaluative look that made Lita feel as if she were being measured.
Sylana turned around again toward Madam Valliere, her expression becoming serious.
"It has been many years, sister,"
she enunciated slowly and coldly.
"I did not come here for mere family reunions. We have things to discuss—important things."
Madam Valliere merely nodded slightly, face still impassive.
"You could ask nothing less from me, Sylana. What is it you seek?"
Sylana's gaze flickered back to Lita for just a moment before returning to her sister.
"I want Lita."
The words hung there, sharp as ice. Lita's heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening in shock. Sylana's tone was calm, but the weight of her demand felt like a storm brewing on the horizon.
Madam Valliere remained in control, though the narrowing of her eyes betrayed her feelings.
"Explain,"
she said, her voice low.
Sylana stepped closer. An unnatural coldness filled the room with her presence.
"Lita has potential,"
she said, quite smoothly.
"She is not an ordinary child. There is blood in the Valliere family, and blood gets everything."
Sylana nodded, her frigidly piercing gaze on her sister's.
"I sensed it from afar for some time now. The bloodline that we share runs deep, and I feel it in her. The very powers that coursed through you, sister, now remain unawoken within Lita. But she is untaught, untrained. With me, she could become something great—something which would benefit us both."