The night was meant to be elegant—a dinner meant to display peace between Kael’s empire and a foreign ally. Yet from the moment Seraphina entered the grand hall, she felt the air coil tight with tension, like a storm hiding behind chandeliers and polite smiles.
Every corner of the room gleamed with opulence: golden drapes cascading like sunlight, crystal goblets filled with deep red wine, and music that floated above the low murmur of conversation. Kael stood at the head of the long table, as imposing as ever in a dark suit that fit him like a second skin. His presence commanded silence. Seraphina, dressed in pale silver, moved beside him, the perfect image of grace—if not for the weight of unseen eyes burning holes in her back.
She had grown used to whispers about her. The beast’s fragi
