Seraphine had been in Blackwood for one night, and the air already tasted different.
It wasn’t her fault. Not really. She hadn’t done anything cruel. She smiled at the children. She asked Mara about the kitchens. She laughed in the courtyard like she belonged there.
That was the worst part.
I didn’t see Draven all day.
He was in council from dawn until dusk. I told myself it was strategy. I told myself he was fighting the elders behind closed doors. I told myself a lot of things to keep my hands from shaking.
At dinner, I walked into the hall and went to my usual place — right beside Draven, at the high table. I’d sat there every night since the Hollow. Mara was at his other side. My chair was pulled out, waiting.
Until Seraphine walked in.
She didn’t go to the guest bench. She came
