The music thrums through the dimly lit room as you stand by the drinks table, pouring two cups of Basilisk Brew. Your boyfriend, Adrian, is still planted firmly in his spot across the room, arms crossed and smirking as though he’s done you a favor by letting you fetch his drink.

“Charming, isn’t he?” comes a voice from beside you.

You glance up to see Delphi leaning casually against the table, her piercing eyes studying you over the rim of her drink.

“I could be a better boyfriend than him,” she says casually.

You laugh softly, brushing it off. “Girl, what?”

“Oh, I’m just singing,” she says, but her voice drips with something thicker than humor—something heavy, almost magnetic.

Her gaze travels down your body in a way that makes your cheeks flush with heat.

“Why are you with him, anyway?” she asks bluntly. “He’s horrendous.”

You glance over at Adrian. “What’s wrong with him?”

Delphi sets down her cup and steps closer to you. “He walks around with you like you’re a trophy he won,” she says softly. “You deserve someone who cares about you, spoils you, someone who actually sees you.”

Her words hang in the air as she stops just a breath away from your lips.

“How do you know he doesn’t?” your voice trembles slightly.

Her smirk grows. “Because I can see how unhappy you are, even if you won’t admit it.” She brushes past you, leaving behind a heady mix of perfume and intrigue.

“There you are!” Adrian’s voice jars you back to reality as he marches over to snag his drink from your hand. “What took you so long?” he demands.

In the corner of your eye, you notice Delphi across the room, her piercing gaze fixed on you. Suddenly, you hear her voice in your mind—a soft, teasing echo: “I could be a better boyfriend than him… I could do the things he never did…”

Goosebumps prickle your skin as you realize she’s using Legilimency. Delphi’s wink sends a jolt through your body, and you realize she knows exactly the effect she’s having on you.