Chapter Seventeen
* The First Test*
Regina Lax’s town car was not headed toward the Lax family offices, nor back to her own residence. It glided to a smooth halt in front of ‘Bellarose,’ a restaurant whose frosted-glass windows and gilded door handle whispered of exclusivity and quiet, powerful conversations.
“We’ll take tea,” Regina stated, not asking. She swept inside, the maître d’ falling into a deferential bow without a word.
Lyra followed, the confidence from the kitchen solidifying into a wary alertness. This was not a casual invitation. This was the next phase of assessment.
The private salon at the rear was awash in afternoon light, its only occupant turning from the window with a practiced, radiant smile that froze the moment she saw Lyra.
Saphira.
She was a vision of calc
