Clarisse hummed softly as she walked down the hallway with a tray of warm breakfast. It was a habit she was trying to build, breakfast in bed for Sera before starting the day. She was still new, still figuring out how things worked in the household, but if there was one thing she was told, it was this: Sera’s happiness comes first.
She opened the bedroom door with a bright smile.
“Sera? Good morning—”
Her voice stopped.
The bed was empty.
The blankets were pulled back neatly, as if the little girl had never slept there. Clarisse frowned. Perhaps she was in the bathroom?
She checked.
No one.
Then the toy room. The lounge. The private library.
Still no sign of her.
Her heart started to pound.
She searched faster, calling the girl’s name now—soft at first, then louder. Panic prickl
