For a long, agonizing moment, the only sound in the hallway was the ragged rhythm of Erin’s breathing.
She stared at Serai’s empty, outstretched hands. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird, her mind racing through a dozen terrifying scenarios. Was this a trick? Was Serai here to gloat? To drag her back to the Elders?
But Serai didn’t move. She didn’t push her way inside. She just stood there in the quiet hallway of Greybridge, stripping away every ounce of the haughty, untouchable mask she had worn for years. Her eyes, usually so cold and calculating, were wide and painfully earnest.
“I know everything,” Serai said, her voice dropping to a fierce, urgent whisper. “I’ve known where you are for three months, Erin. And I haven’t told a single soul.”
Erin’s breath caught
