The mansion's living room was bathed in the golden light of late afternoon, shadows stretching across marble floors and Persian rugs. On the plush velvet couch, two women sat intertwined, their hands clasped together like lifelines in a storm. Their pale skin seemed almost translucent in the warm light, as if they'd been carved from moonstone rather than flesh.
Ava's breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight of Claire and Alina. Her fellow Real Estate Avengers—once vibrant, strong women who could flip houses and take down supernatural threats with equal ease—now looked fragile as winter frost. Their bodies had grown thin everywhere except for the impossible swells of their pregnancies, which dominated their frames like twin moons.
"Oh my God," Ava whispered, rushing forward. Cassidy and Noctavine followed close behind, their expressions equally concerned.
Claire looked up with tired eyes that still held their familiar warmth. "Hey, Ava. We've been better."
