Ruin in Bloom - Kivani and Enyo

[Kivani Astraevor]

The catacombs beneath Solarae Bastion pulsed with silent energy... arcane wards etched into obsidian walls humming faintly in warning. The chamber Kivani had chosen for this exchange sat at the core of a labyrinthine stronghold, a place where secrets came to be buried or bought.

He stood atop the central platform... a slab of dark stone raised above the rest of the chamber like a throne without a crown. Below, armored sentries flanked the perimeter, motionless and alert, their spears of starlit alloy glinting in the low glow. All was still.

Until he felt her.

The energy shifted the moment she entered... the air tensing like a drawn bow. He didn’t need to see her yet. He could feel her, that sharp ripple of heat and unrepentant defiance that always trailed behind her like smoke after a blaze.

Enyo.

Kivani stepped forward, his silver-edged cloak stirring as he approached the edge of the platform. His eyes narrowed.

She moved through the chamber below with her usual casual swagger, like she owned the place. Like the dozen guards surrounding her were ornamental at best. She was dressed for the hunt, leather and shadows clinging to her curves in a way that stirred memories he’d buried like bones.

Damn her.

It had been months. Too many. He’d been keeping his distance, convincing himself it was for her safety, for focus, for the mission. A thousand justifications stacked like cards, all crumbling now that she was here... in his space, in his reach.

He remembered the last time they were together... hot breath, cold walls, her mouth against his skin whispering wicked things between curses and kisses. He remembered how she'd pulled away just as abruptly, mocking him with a smirk and a threat he almost wished she'd kept.

He remembered not stopping her.

Stupid.

He studied her from the shadows of his perch. She looked dangerous, beautiful, and entirely too pleased with herself. Even now. Even knowing what that damn drug was doing to her.

His jaw tightened.

She didn’t know about the new blend... the one he’d made for her. The one without corruption. Without decay. He’d spent weeks perfecting it in silence, anchoring it with fragments of his own light, cursing himself with every drop.

She wouldn’t know. She couldn’t. Because then he’d have to admit what it meant. And Kivani Astraevor didn't bleed for anyone.

Still, he watched her like she might vanish if he blinked. Like some part of him hadn’t already carved her name into the vaults of his soul and sealed it shut.

When she finally looked up, meeting his gaze like a challenge, he let a slow smirk form at the corner of his lips.

“Didn’t expect you to show up yourself, Enyo,” he called down, voice smooth and sharp as a dagger drawn in the dark. “Let me guess... you missed the view.”

The guards didn’t flinch. They’d heard worse between the two. But for Kivani, the moment stretched—tight with tension, thick with history. He remained still. Watching. Waiting. Wondering if she’d notice that this time, the vial would feel... different. 

Lighter. Safer. Meant. For her. But he’d never say that. Not now. Not ever.

[Enyo Obscura]

Smoke danced between her delicate finger tips as she sprawled out in the heated springs of The Vale; she watched with intensity, with awe and love for the power she had gained since her demonic uprising. Further smoke exhaled out of her nostrils as she sunk further and further into the water, until her head was submerged. Enyo remained under water for a few moments before resurfacing and pushing her onyx coloured hair away from her face. Whilst she came to the springs often, often to remove herself from people of her court, as well as the fools in town and the training rinks; this time was different and it was almost a welcoming distraction - if it fucking worked.

Kivani. Duskthorn. Kivani. Power. Kivani. Release. Kivani. Pleasure. Kivan- 

“NO” Enyo roared into the volcanic mountainscape; her dragon thrashing beneath her skin to release the anxious, tantalising feeling of withdrawal in every sense. The bottle of bourbon on the rocks beside her had managed to somewhat numb her withdrawals from both the drug and in particular, the heated touches of the man she craved so often. She had forgotten how long it had been without her true fix - she was simply too stubborn to ask for more so soon. Her brother, Braxton, often warned her of her substance abuse to dissociate from the effects of her trauma and betrayal but little did he, or the council know; substances were never going to be her downfall - he was. 

Between leaving the springs and flying back to her rooms within the palace; a decision had been made. Leather luminated her curves, her hair braided back and fell down her spine and the powerful ancient rite had bypassed her lips; within seconds, the walls shuddered at the overconsuming power which had entered the room and the eye of the fiery portal blinked back at her. Her dragon now rumbled with approval, her skin hot to touch as it revelled with anticipation. 

It had been months, and she had no idea where he could be; and that infuriated her more. Yet, as she stood before the eye, she closed her own and allowed darkness to stare back at her and she simply thought of him as she stepped into the portal. 

“She shouldn’t be here.”

“Leave now. Abomination.” 

“Get out!” 

The Astral Covenant. The light divine surrounded her and she naturally bared her teeth at the uncomfortable sensation that picked away at her skin. “Ugh” She groaned, almost swatting away the soft light glowing around her. Thankfully, that sensation was another feeling she craved and devoured; pain. Enyo followed the darkened string that laid a path before her; whether this string was real or she was simply hallucinating it, she wasn’t sure, but she knew it would take her somewhere. And somewhere it did. 

Down, down, down she went; spiraling further down into darkness until a line of guards stared through her. Enyo smirked and glanced upward and there he was. She felt everything and nothing at the same time as they watched each other. Enyo strolled through the guards, and paused at one as she dusted some dirt off his shoulder plate. “There you go buddy” She whispered tauntingly before moving to stand at the feet of the central platform. That smirk of his alone could ruin worlds; have leaders on their knees begging for forgiveness. 

“If you want something done right, you send a woman” Enyo responded, her body shifting its weight to her right hip; yet her jaw ticked at the precision of his darkened knife - she did miss the view but as hell would she ever tell him that. “It is apparent the view has got a little worse for wear since the last time.” Enyo retorted, already noting the stress lines that had appeared on his brow. “So this is it? Your little lab of chaos and mischief” She slowly smiled as she circled round the central platform before her leather like wings broke free from her shoulder blades to lift her skyward onto the platform. 

He was heads above her, she barely reached his collar bone but she was just as mighty as her lips curled at one side.  “Hello Vani” 

[Kivani Astraevor]

She rose like a flame, ascending on those infernal wings, leather stretched taut over shadow and skin, her smirk just as dangerous as the last time he'd seen it... perhaps more so. When she landed before him, eyes gleaming, chin tilted in challenge, it took everything in him not to show what that did to him. What she still did to him.

The name she called him "Vani" slid from her tongue like a blade dipped in honey. Too sweet, too sharp, far too familiar. He inhaled slowly through his nose, held it, then let the breath slip past clenched teeth. “Still think nicknames soften the edge, do you?” he murmured, stepping down from the platform’s highest tier so he loomed just a little closer. Not close enough to touch. Never that. “You always did like playing with fire.”

His gaze scanned her... not just in the way he used to, memorizing the slope of her shoulders or the cut of her smirk... but deeper, sharper now. A hunter’s assessment. Her aura was darker, thicker with hunger than before, and beneath the sultry bravado, he saw it: the tremor behind her stillness, the faint crackle of restrained energy, the slight dilation in her pupils.

She’d been using.

His jaw ticked. The supply wasn’t for her personal use. Not officially. Not by contract. But Kivani had always known that Enyo lived on the edge of every boundary... loyalty, danger, addiction. Maybe he should’ve cut her off sooner. Maybe he should’ve stopped making the compound altogether. But then, he never had been good at denying her.

He crossed his arms as she circled the platform like a predator in silk and steel, throwing barbs and banter with every step. Gods, she was impossible. The corner of his mouth twitched... amused, irritated, impressed. Always all three.

“This isn't my lab,” he replied evenly, voice low but firm, like the wardlines carved into the walls around them. “Not that it’s any of your concern. Just one of several distribution points.” The implication was clear: you’re not welcome in the real places. No one was. Not even her. And yet, here she stood. Here he’d invited her.

She smelled faintly of sulfur and spring water, bourbon and power. Not the usual intoxicating floral haze of duskthorn. She was off-kilter, just slightly... but enough for him to notice. Enough for him to feel. Like something in her had been unraveled and rewound tighter than before. Kivani’s thoughts sharpened with the realization that maybe she hadn’t just been craving the drug.

Maybe she’d been craving him.  And maybe... maybe... he’d been craving her the same damn way.

“Business, Enyo,” he said at last, quieter now, as if speaking too loudly might give his thoughts away. “That’s what this is. You’re here for your shipment. Let’s not blur the lines.” A lie, of course. The lines had never been clear.

He was about to say more when movement caught his eye... one of his sentries breaking formation to ascend the stairs at a clipped pace. The armored guard approached with precision, stopping three paces behind Kivani and bowing his head.

“My lord,” the man said, voice tight, controlled. “We found someone near the outer perimeter. Breach of veil protocol. They’re restrained and in holding.”

Kivani’s entire presence shifted... still as stone, but sharper now, like the weight of a blade had dropped into his spine. His eyes narrowed faintly.

“Who?” he asked without turning.

“Unknown. Not Astral. No sigils. Wards identified residual infernal traces.”

That, more than anything, made his hands twitch at his sides. He didn’t glance at Enyo, but he felt her hear it.

“Keep them alive,” Kivani said coolly, “until I say otherwise. No contact. No questions. I’ll deal with it when I’m finished here.”

The guard bowed once more and disappeared down the steps, shadows swallowing him whole. Only then did Kivani turn back to Enyo, who was watching him like a cat with a bloody smile... half-curious, half-ready to strike. “If you brought a guest,” he said dryly, “you should’ve RSVP’d.”

There was a tension to his voice now. A warning in the softness. Not a threat to her, not exactly, but to whatever ghosts she might’ve dragged with her. He stepped closer, slow, deliberate. “You’ll get your shipment,” he said. “Double the usual cut. Demand’s rising in the east.” And then, after a pause, as his eyes raked over her one last time...

“You look different.” The words came out before he could stop them. Before he could cage the thought. Not weaker. Not worse. Just... more. And that terrified him in a way he’d never admit.

[Enyo Obscura]

The tension in the room with them was thick, suffocating even and many others would balk at the feeling; run from it perhaps, but her? No. It was uncomfortable, yes, but in a way that could almost be described as thrilling, it gave her a kick and kept her aware. If anything, and if it was possible for Enyo to feel such emotions these days, she felt sorry for the guards who stood on the ground surrounding them. His guards had witnessed first hand their tumultuous relationship, the frantic, overindulgent heat that was all consuming; but they had also witnessed the burning of frost, the ice laced words that were thrown to one another with intent and precision. However, it was incredibly easy to forget they were in the room when Kivani took up so much of the space; not only was he physically all consuming, but the raw power that emitted from him was enough to empty rooms and left no room for any other. 

“Do I look like someone who would cheapen the moment by using a nickname to take the edge off?” Enyo scoffed in response, her eyes rolling at his ludicrous suggestion. Now that he had stepped that little closer, he was infuriatingly the only thing she could see, the only thing she could smell. She would never balk at him, never step away to give them space; that emitted weakness, that she conceded to his very being. No. Never. She was a fucking Princess, the sole heir to the throne and she would not give anyone the space to gain the upper hand. And so, her chin lifted - not just so she could actually see him, but in defiance, in a challenge but also in confidence which oozed out of her like the smell of faint smoke and fire. Enyo silently mused, her head nodding only slightly. “Honey, I am the fire”

The way his eyes roamed over her, heated that very fire which ran in her veins; she was already hot to touch with her dragon ever present, but her withdrawals and now being subject to his assessing gaze made her skin near on scoldering. She both hated and fucking loved it when he looked at her like this; and if she was paying more attention, she might have commented on the hint of concern which shown through his eyes at his assessment of her. Enyo felt bare when he looked at her, his eyes all knowing, as if he could see into the very darkened fabric of her soul. She had picked up on the unspoken words of how she was not invited to places and she smirked, her fingers trailing along the edges of one of the tables. “Not being invited just screams at me to turn up” Her slender shoulders shrugged; the small movement caused her wings to twitch as she kept them out on display. They were of a black membrane, but with red threaded through; it looked as if her wings had been wounded and continuously weeped blood - an all too clear representation of her hidden trauma. 

“The shipment, of course” Enyo dramatically sighed, her body now itching to receive it; of course she had known he was aware of her taking some for her own before distributing to others within Cinderstone. That was like asking a viper to not eat the mouse that had been purposely placed in its confinement. Yet, deep down, in the darkness most shadowy parts of her, she had hoped the lines would blur one more time; hence the real reason why she turned up today and not one of her own minions. Enyo kept her gaze upon the instruments on the table, purely to ensure he was not able to see the slightest of cracks in her demeanour that would hint at that slight disappointment. Her gaze remained, although she could feel his digging at her back, even when the guard was brave enough to interrupt them. 

Infernal traces. One of hers. 

The backs of her teeth grinded at the thought of someone, somehow, following her here. There was no way that they could have followed her through her portal - someone typically has to be invited in by her to do so. Enyo exhaled and turned to face Kivani, her lips pressed into a line “If they are one of mine, and if I have been followed, then I will deal with them” Smoke exhaled through her nostrils which flared at the anger of the real possibility that she had been followed; she stepped towards the fallen Celestial and tilted her head at his comment; her long braid swooshed at her back at the movement. “Different?” Her lips curved — slow, deliberate, like the moon slipping from behind clouds. “Careful, Vani. That almost sounded like a compliment.”

Despite this being his territory, she did not wait for his approval, or his order to move. Slowly, and incredibly deliberated, Enyo passed him and as she did so, she ensured her shoulder nudged his. Enyo dropped down to ground level and approached the guard. “Take me to them” Her tone was that of royalty and despite him not being within her guard, it left no room for disobedience. 

The guard hesitated, and whilst she didn’t turn to face Kivani; she was annoyingly sure the guard only agreed to her order because Kivani gave a slight nod; even he knew he couldn’t stop her with this. She followed with thunder in her footsteps; the soft glow of celestial energy which danced within the air no longer pained her as she sat within her anger, not only at the person but herself at being followed. 

Her dark eyes shifted into black, bottomless pits as they approached the restrained individual and her lips pulled back, her teeth bearing. “Anwir” She all but snarled as her fingers grabbed his blonde hair and pulled back so he had to look at her. Her presence was enough to make one quiver, but with Kivani looming behind her, Anwir knew there was no way out.