I opened my eyes just as Ethan, with a slow, almost ceremonial movement, drew a silver dagger with a handle wrapped in black leather. The blade gleamed with a cold sheen, and I felt Clarissa retreat in my mind, a panicked howl echoing inside me.
“No,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, as if afraid the sound might shatter something fragile in the air. Ethan turned, dagger in hand, his eyes fixed on Serena, who was still tied to the bed, his expression shifting from smug to confused.
“What… what is that?” she asked, his voice trembling for the first time.
“Your punishment,” Ethan said, his voice cold as ice.
He stepped closer to Serena, the dagger gleaming in his hand, and a mixture of relief and terror coursed through me. He wasn't going to use it on me, but what did he plan to do w
