The coastal highway stretched before them like a ribbon of molten silver, sun pooling on the asphalt and spilling in broken waves over the guardrails. The air shimmered with salt and heat, clinging to skin and glass alike, turning every breath into something faintly electric.
The car, a sleek black coupe with dark chrome trim, moved through it effortlessly, a predatory shape against the horizon. Inside, the engine hummed with a low purr, making the world feel smaller and more intimate.
Victor was driving. Of course he was.
He looked like sin dressed in sunlight. His black shirt, loose at the collar and sleeves rolled up to his forearms, stood out against his pale skin, the fabric stretching just enough as he turned the wheel. The faint glint of gold at his hand caught the light with every movement. A gold band, set with a black stone so dark it seemed to swallow light. He never took it off. Not while he worked, slept, or even when his divinity flared enough to crack the air.
