Raven’s POV
The lecture echoed in the background with the lecturer saying some mindless drone about ancient vampire treaties, but my mind was anywhere but here.
I sat stiffly in my seat at the Academy, pen loosely clutched in my hand, pretending to take notes. In reality, I was replaying every damn word that woman—our “aunt”—had said last night.
Jerome?
Take the credit for curing the brothers?
What a sick joke.
She wanted to erase me from the story like I didn’t matter like I was just some tool that happened to spill her blood at the right time. The worst part wasn’t even the audacity—it was that the rest of the council didn't flinch.
I swallowed hard, my chest tight as the tutor’s voice warped into a blur. Around me, the students whispered not loudly, but I heard it.
Even though
