Author's note: this is from Seraphina's point of view

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I woke up excited and rushed to get ready for the day.

Last night, Aldus told me that he is finalizing our meeting with Vesper.

It was obvious that he was reluctant to meet with that woman, and that he didn't want to talk about what transpired between them. It seemed to be personal and I didn't want to pry into it. Aldus is a man of many secrets and I am happy that he is gradually letting me into his world while providing me with a shelter and environment I can thrive in, and that is more than enough.

I was not sure if his lack of enthusiasm to see her was because of their past, or because he fears what she might find out during our meeting. After all, he said that my origins need to be kept a secret for both his and my safety, and if Vesper can read emotions and look into the past, there is a chance that she might uncover our secret. I was confident that if that happens, Aldus will not hesitate to kill the witch, and I hoped that we will not reach that point because I need her help and I'm fairly certain that I never saw someone die.

I needed to stay positive and to make the most out of our visit to Vesper because my freedom depends on it. If I can't control this pheromone curse, I will be my own prisoner, avoiding people so that they don't harm me. It's ironic that in order to stay safe, I need to stay calm, yet I am nervous just thinking about it. Pathetic.

It was after breakfast when Aldus handed me a small red book.

It took me a moment to comprehend the significance of the golden letters: "Republica Italiana --- PASSAPORTO".

I opened it and saw my photo and name: "Seraphina Amara Mezzanotte". He put as my birthday May 1st, and I wondered if that is really my birthday. I didn't want to overthink it.

"Are we traveling somewhere?", I asked.

"Mhm…", he confirmed with a hum. "Vesper is in Paris. Pack things for two days, and we will adjust our schedule as needed. Maria took the suitcase to your room and she will help you pack."

I was excited like a child who got a promise of a trip to the candy store. I'm going to Paris! But… "Why do I need a passport? Aren't we using a portal or something like that?" I did my best not to use the word 'magic', knowing that Aldus likes to make fun of it.

"Do you think that creating portals is easy?"

I shrugged. "I don't know what to think. You make everything appear to be easy."

Aldus smiled a little. He took my words as flattery. "We don't have a portal from here to Paris."

"I assume that we are not going sight-seeing.", I asked in a negative form, even though I hoped that we might be able to go.

Aldus confirmed. "Not until you learn to control your power."

I couldn't complain because I knew the reason. "If it's dangerous for me to go out, why is Vesper not coming here?"

Aldus frowned. "I don't want her here."

I didn't ask more questions and I went to pack, knowing that if I don't hurry, Maria will do everything and there will be nothing for me to pack.

Our trip to the airport was uneventful, and Aldus led the way toward the nearly empty terminal and straight into his private jet. Mitch, Aldus's driver, followed us while rolling our two suitcases behind him, and I found out that he will be our pilot as well.

At the airport, we had no lines to wait and no security checks. The airport was like a pass-through destination where his plane was parked.

I was giddy about the celebrity treatment. The jet had seating for twenty people, all in extra-wide leather chairs that can recline fully and swivel to form a group of four around a table and there were an open bar and a massive television. Very fancy.

Two flight attendants made sure we had drinks and snacks, and when Aldus gestured to them to give us privacy, they went to the room in front and closed the door without questions asked which told me that they are used to this.

During the flight, Aldus advised me about Vesper and what to expect when we get there.

"Vesper is a powerful witch. With her spells, nothing is out of her reach. However, she has limitations. She can't cast spells without chanting them, and she can't manipulate your energies without touching you."

I understood some points. "As long as her mouth is shut and she does not touch me, she is like a regular human."

Aldus was pleased with my deduction. "Correct. But even if she is not casting a spell, Vesper's nature is to deceive and play with others in order to gain what she needs, so you should always be alert. If you know that she wants to manipulate you, she can't succeed."

This was the part I didn't like. I'm about to seek help from a person while assuming that her intentions are not good. Great, just great. But Aldus told me to keep my eyes and ears open and to decide if I want to follow Vesper's instructions, and I have no choice but to rely on my intuition.

"You talk about Vesper's ability to manipulate the energies of the person she touches. Can you tell me more about it?"

Aldus shifted in his seat. "Everything you do requires energy. You want to move a muscle, breathe air, speak, none of that will happen without manipulating energies. You do it daily without thinking about it, Vesper can do it for you."

I waited for Aldus to say more, but he didn't, so I had to ask: "If I understood you correctly, when she touches me, Vesper can prevent me from breathing, and she can control me like a marionette. She can make me do and say things I don't want to, and she can kill me in front of a thousand people while making it look like a suicide."

"She can't control actions that happen on reflex, like breathing, blinking, or heartbeat. At least she was not able to control that the last time I saw her."

"But she can do the rest.", I finished Aldus's thought to what he nodded.

"With the physical touch, she can feel your energies and experience whatever you are going through."

I frowned. Is he expecting me not to freak out after hearing all this? I told myself to calm down. I exhaled and turned to look at the clouds through the window. This all sounded too complicated and I decided to focus on the city which started peeking through the white-grayish fluff as the plane descended.

After about one hour long ride in a car, Aldus and I found ourselves at the intersection of a narrow street in Paris that was framed on both sides with tall historic buildings. The cobblestone road glistened due to the wet blanket which an afternoon shower left behind, giving it a mysterious feel.

I thought that we will check into a hotel first, but Aldus thought of visiting Vesper.

"We need to walk from here.", Aldus said as he opened the door of the car for me to step out.

Dark pavement and tall buildings made me feel claustrophobic, and a rustic after-rain air made it difficult to breathe.

I noticed that every building was different, yet they were suspiciously the same, and there were no numbers next to the entries. The strangest thing was that besides Aldus and me, there was no one else outside. It looked deserted.

Suddenly, an eerie feeling surged within me.

"Is it just me, or can anyone get easily lost here?", I asked Aldus, knowing that it sounds ridiculous. How can someone get lost in a street without corners? The only options were forward or backward, yet it felt like a maze full of mirrors.

"Hmm…", he hummed. "Vesper set a spell so that she can't be found."

"But you know where we are going, right?"

"I know where Vesper wants us to go."

I gulped softly. "Could this be a trap?"

"It could be...", he responded absentmindedly and then glanced my way. "Vesper will not harm us until she finds out why we are here. Witches like to play games. Nothing is ever straightforward with them."

We stopped in front of one building and made our way inside, taking the stairs to the fifth floor.

When we reached the door, Aldus faced me. "Do you remember what I told you? No matter what happens inside, remember one thing: she is not your friend.", Aldus said and pressed the doorbell without waiting for me to respond.

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