The Thirteenth Sign

The Scorpio stronghold wasn't what Celeste expected.

It wasn't a torture chamber carved from darkness, nor a labyrinth of underground tunnels filled with hidden assassins. It was something far more dangerous—a place designed to make you forget you were in a viper's nest until it was too late.

The corridors were sleek and minimalist, built from black stone and tempered steel, illuminated by low, ambient lighting that cast faint shadows against the walls. The air carried a faint scent of ozone and weapon oil, a reminder that the people who lived here were trained in precision, silence, and death.

Kieran led her deeper into the stronghold, his footsteps eerily quiet despite his confident stride. Celeste forced herself to walk just as steadily, refusing to let him think she was intimidated, even if she was.

Because she was in enemy territory now.

And Kieran, despite the smirks and amusement, was still an enemy.

...

He finally stopped at a set of reinforced doors, pressing his palm to a scanner. The doors slid open with a smooth hiss, revealing a dimly lit chamber beyond.

Celeste expected a cold, sterile office, but instead, she found something… strange.

The space was surprisingly large, lined with dark furniture and minimalistic designs. A sleek black desk stood against the far wall, cluttered with scattered holo-screens and maps, and to the side, a tall window of reinforced glass overlooked a subterranean training yard. A weapons rack gleamed in one corner, an expensive liquor cabinet in another.

This wasn't just an interrogation room.

It was his private chambers.

Celeste tensed. "You're bringing me here?"

Kieran stepped inside, unbothered. "Would you prefer the holding cells?"

She scowled. "Do you usually invite your enemies into your quarters?"

He turned, watching her with that unreadable expression. "Only the interesting ones."

She exhaled sharply, stepping forward just enough for the doors to close behind her.

The air inside the room was cooler and charged with something she couldn't quite place.

"Sit," Kieran said, nodding toward one of the chairs near the window.

Celeste crossed her arms. "I'd rather stand."

His lips twitched. "Suit yourself."

She watched as he pulled off his gloves and set them on the desk, then loosened the high collar of his uniform, rolling his shoulders as if shedding the weight of something unseen.

It was the first time she'd seen him look… less like a weapon and more like a person.

That was somehow worse.

She squared her shoulders. "Why did you give me the keycard?"

Kieran exhaled, shaking his head slightly. "You really don't waste time, do you?"

"I don't have time to waste."

His eyes flicked to hers. "No," he murmured. "You don't."

Something about the way he said it made her pulse quicken.

Kieran moved to the liquor cabinet, pouring himself a drink. "You're asking the wrong question, Cel."

She frowned. "Then what's the right one?"

He took a slow sip of his drink, his eyes gleaming with something sharp. "Not why I gave it to you." He set the glass down. "Why I haven't taken it back."

Celeste stilled. The realization curled cold and slow in her stomach.

He was right. If he wanted the keycard back, he could've taken it the moment they got into the cruiser. He could've stripped it from her by force. But he hadn't.

He was letting her keep it.

Her fingers curled slightly. "You're playing a game."

Kieran's smirk deepened. "You always assume I'm playing."

"Aren't you?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back against the edge of his desk, watching her with unsettling patience.

"Tell me something, Aqua girl," he mused. "What do you think happens if you keep following this path?"

Celeste narrowed her eyes. "I find the truth."

He shook his head. "No. You die."

A flicker of something heated rushed through her chest. "So, what? You think I should just give up?"

Kieran tilted his head. "I think you should be smart about it."

Celeste scoffed. "And you think dragging me into your chambers is smart?"

His lips twitched. "Depends on the outcome."

She hated that her heart skipped slightly at that.

Kieran pushed off the desk and strode toward her, moving too smoothly, too quietly. Celeste stood her ground, but when he stopped just a breath away, she had to resist the urge to step back.

Because he was too damn close.

She could see the way the dim lighting cast shadows along his sharp jawline, the way his eyes studied her as if peeling back her layers. He didn't need weapons to be dangerous—he was dangerous just standing there.

And he knew it.

Celeste lifted her chin. "You're wasting my time, Kieran."

"Am I?" His voice was smooth, edged with something almost teasing.

She forced herself to hold his gaze. "What do you want from me?"

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "Right now?" He exhaled softly, his eyes dropping to her lips for just a second.

"Entertainment."

Celeste's breath caught.

Kieran leaned in just enough to make her question what the hell he was doing, but not close enough to cross the line.

"Something wrong?" His voice was maddeningly soft.

Celeste clenched her fists. "You're insufferable."

His smirk deepened. "And yet, you're still here."

She hated that he was right. She hated the way her skin burned from his proximity, the way her heart betrayed her by racing slightly faster.

She needed to gain control of the conversation.

So she moved first.

She took a slow step forward, intentionally closing the space between them.

Kieran didn't flinch. But something in his gaze shifted—just barely.

Celeste arched a brow. "Something wrong, Scorpio?"

For a fraction of a second, she swore she saw amusement flicker into something else.

Then he laughed, quiet and low, shaking his head. "Dangerous game there, Aqua girl."

She smirked. "What, am I too close?"

His hand lifted lazily, brushing the edge of her sleeve, just barely skimming her wrist.

"Not at all," he murmured.

Celeste's breath caught, but she didn't pull away.

She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

Instead, she tilted her head. "Then why do you look like you're considering something reckless?"

Kieran's smirk didn't falter, but he didn't answer either.

And that, somehow, was more unsettling.

Finally, he stepped back, breaking the moment before it could spiral into something neither of them could control.

Kieran exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Enough fun for now."

Celeste rolled her eyes. "That's what you call fun?"

His smirk returned. "You're still breathing, aren't you?"

"Debatable."

His laughter was soft, almost genuine this time. But then, his expression shifted, darkened, as if remembering why they were here.

"Keep the keycard," he said suddenly.

Celeste frowned. "What?"

His jaw tensed slightly. "Keep it. Use it. But don't expect mercy when the Order finds out."

Her pulse quickened. "And what about you?"

He tilted his head. "What about me?"

"You're risking something by letting me keep it."

Kieran was silent for a moment. Then, softly, he muttered, "We all have to decide what's worth the risk, Celeste."

Celeste gulped hard.

And for the first time, she didn't know if she was the only one falling deeper into something dangerous.