Chapter One
Lana Darling wasa nervous wreck.
That was something that rarely ever happened. In fact, she usually prided herself on the way she could maintain her composure during even the worst of times.
Today was different.
Maybe that was what happened when you wanted something too much. Nerves meant more than mere anxiety. It was the body’s way of confirming that the stakes had become real enough to feel. Every flutter in her chest, every restless thought, even the slight tremble in her hands, was a reminder of how much she stood to gain.
And how much she could lose.
Lana usually kept herself carefully neutral, even apathetic. She never liked to show her true feelings about anything. Part of that was due to how she’d been raised, but another was purely a survival instinct. Because wanting something was the fastest way to end up with a weakness.
And that was something she wouldn’t allow.
Wanting something, especially something she truly cared about, stripped away the illusion of control, leaving her exposed. It made hope feel more tenuous, almost fragile, as if even thinking too hard might cause it to shatter and slip through her fingers. And yet, beneath the unease, there was a stubborn, unyielding certainty that some things were worth the risk, no matter the cost.
As she stood outside the main public library in Mystic, Colorado, the city felt too loud, too bright, too normal for what waited beyond the doors. The library was a huge structure made of dark stone and shadows, with towering spires that reached for the sky and colorful stained-glass windows that refractedthe light. The gothic giant could have been mistaken for an old cathedral if not for the carved plaque above the doors designating it a city staple.
It was one of the oldest buildings in Mystic, a protected landmark the city loved to brag about. They’d recently gutted and modernized most of the interior, but the exterior façade remained the same, preserving the majestic beauty of a time long past.
The building’s blend of old-world grandeur and discreet modern comforts made it the ideal front for the Supernatural Council’s presence within the Human Realm. To the public, it was nothing more than a historic landmark. But in truth, it was the heavily warded location that housed the portal leading to the Council’s true seat of power.
The real location of the Supernatural Council headquarters existed beyond basic geography, concealed behind layers of magic and secrecy. Its whereabouts were only known by a select few. The headquarters was carefully guarded as one of the council’s most closely held secrets, and utterly inaccessible to outsiders who lacked both the authority and permission to visit.
Taking a deep breath, her fingers tightened around the strap of her satchel until the leather bit into her palm. That visible show of nerves was simply unacceptable. She needed to get her emotions under control before she walked into the building because she was sure her every move would be scrutinized once she was inside.
Panic wasn’t an indulgence she could afford at the moment.
She was wearing a camel-colored cashmere coat over her well-tailored dark suit, black leather gloves, and high-heeled boots that added a few inches to her petite stature. Her pale blonde hair had been styled into an elegant chignon, and she had artfully applied her makeup to make herself look a few years older.
For a first-year magical academy student at Trifecta University, getting an audience with the Supernatural Council was almost unimaginable. Especially for a novice still learning the fundamentals of magic. Even the most influential and powerful supernaturals struggled to secure a meeting with the entity that governed the supernatural community within the Human Realm.
However, there was always an exception to the rule when it came to power.
Only, this time it wasn’t due to her family’s wealth or prestige.
The Supernatural Council was making an exception by granting Lana an audience because they were interested in her unique ability. Not only that, they were interested in the thesis she wrote about how it could be used. To the council, she wasn’t just a student seeking approval. She was a potential weapon. A variable they didn’t yet understand, and that made her dangerous, fascinating, and worthy of their time.
Because in the supernatural community and the human world, the most lucrative commodity was the same for both…secrets.
And Lana’s unique gift gave her the power to expose them all.
Born to a life of wealth and privilege, Lana seemed to have everything anyone could ever want. From the outside, her existence was a glittering display of endless affluence, glamorous appearances, and unlimited resources. At least, that was the story most people believed. The one that spread over social media and was whispered about with envy at galas and charity events.
But the truth was her life was a carefully constructed web of lies.
Beneath the sophisticated polish was a reality meticulously engineered from half-truths, omissions, and artful deceit designed to hide her family’s unique gifts.
Her father, Lord Theodore Darling, was one of the most influential members of Parliament. While much of the public dismissed his success as little more than inherited privilege, those within the inner circles understood he was far more than a figurehead handed power by circumstance. Behind closed doors, he was regarded as one of the most influential men in any room. A true strategist capable of steering major policies, controlling political outcomes, and ending careers with a single calculated decision.
The power he wielded was more elusive than mere intellect and wealth. His demon heritage made him more powerful than the majority of his peers. But it was his family’s inherited gift that truly made him formidable. The Darling family legacy wasn’t as charming as it sounded. With the slightest touch, he could delve beneath every carefully guarded layer a person possessed and uncover the deepest, darkest secrets they had buried within them.
He used those secrets to cultivate a vast network of powerful allies, including politicians, business magnates, media executives, and other influential figures who understood the value of staying in his good graces. Information was currency in his world, and he possessed more of it than anyone realized. With carefully timed favors, quiet threats, and strategic revelations, he had built relationships that granted him influence far beyond what the public could see.
Since his wife, Charlotte, was the editor of an important fashion magazine, Theodore’s network had seamlessly expanded beyond his own circle and into hers. While they were not true mates, theirs was said to be a love match of childhood sweethearts. That may have been true once, butLana had witnessed enough of their infidelities to understand their relationship had become nothing more than a mutually beneficial business arrangement.
Despite the truth of their relationship, her parents liked to pretend they had the perfect family. That story played well in interviews and looked glamorous in glossy pictures spread over social media. But Lana had grown up in a different reality, and the truth was hardly that clean.
