On the rooftop

Mallory chose not to stay in her room. Instead, she wandered around the castle until she found the stairs leading to the roof. Feeling as if Ivy was spying on her, she thought being away from prying eyes would do her some good.

Pulling a cigar from her pocket, she placed it between her lips. Click! The lighter appeared out of nowhere, casting a flickering flame that danced at the end of the cigar.

"A little too addicted to the taste of smoke, aren't we?" Hadeon's voice cut through the silence, startling Mallory slightly. She hadn't expected him to appear beside her, his golden eyes now dark red, staring back at her with a wicked smile.

"Your heart is going to darken sooner than I expected. Or the lungs," he said as the cigar burned, flicking the lighter closed. "What are you doing up here all alone, like a ghost?"