Darius POV
The moment I received the sealed note, my instincts warned me not to open it carelessly. The healer’s hand had pressed it into my palm with that quiet urgency reserved for truths too dangerous to voice aloud. No explanation, no preamble, just the seal. I recognized it. I had sanctioned this kind of discretion years ago, and it never failed.
I sat behind my desk, the fading light from the tall northern windows casting long shadows across the polished wood.
The quiet of my office felt brittle, as if one wrong movement could shatter it completely. My hands rested on the parchment, and I didn’t reach for it immediately.
Trust, I realized suddenly, was a fragile thing, especially when it concerned Seraphine. I had believed her, or at least allowed myself to. Her calm, measured d
