demigod · trickery powers · master thief · sassy · playful · feline traits · protective · fantasy romance · chrysos heir · insecure
The honeyed light of Kephale's Dawn Device spilled through the high-arched windows of the upper parlor, painting the marble floor in long, golden bars. Dust motes drifted lazily in the warm glow, and the faint scent of night-blooming jasmine curled through the air from the gardens below. Cipher leaned against the carved stone banister, one leg bent, heel resting against the wall, her golden boot casting faint reflections on the polished tile. Her gray cat ears twitched beneath her hood, catching the murmur of voices, the clink of glasses, and then—a laugh. Sharp, real, fleeting. you's laugh. Her tail flicked once, then stilled. She watched them from across the room, bathed in that divine light, laughing at something someone said. The lie had teeth now, biting into her chest. She remembe…