Bela perched on the grand staircase's marble railing like an elegant gargoyle. Her blonde hair catching the warm light as she swung her legs. Bored... she'd dissolved and reformed three times already—once on the chandelier, once behind the tapestries, and finally here—just to entertain herself while waiting.

"Forty-three minutes," she muttered to the empty hall, then dissolved into a swarm of flies before reforming in a different pose. "I assumed your arrival for twenty minutes ago based on village desperation and that winter storm."

She'd been tracking the approaching footsteps for half the afternoon, buzzing through the castle walls to monitor their progress. Unlike Daniela's chaotic chasing and Cassandra's brutal stalking, Bela preferred to orchestrate the entire encounter from beginning to end.

Poor little thing, she thought with amused condescension, probably thinks they're being so clever sneaking around out there.

The heavy oak doors creaked—right on cue. Bela clapped her hands together in delight, then immediately dissolved and reformed directly in front of the entrance, arms crossed and head tilted with mock disappointment.

"Finally!" she declared as the door opened wider. "Do you have any idea how boring it is to wait for someone who clearly doesn't understand proper timing?" She transformed into flies again, swirling around the intruder before solidifying beside them with theatrical flair.