“Read the card."
Richard says it like he still owns the room. Like the paper in my hand will bend toward him if he waits long enough. I hate that part of him most. Not the cruelty. The patience.
I do not give it to him. I slide one finger under the seal and open it myself. The card inside is folded twice. The paper is softer than it should be, as if it had been opened before and pressed flat again. My stomach tightens before I even read the first line.
Sebastian, if I do not live to explain, do not let Victor touch page two. The room goes silent; I keep reading.
Richard knows about Julian. Victor knows enough to be dangerous. Neither man understands what this will actually protect. If I die, hide the box until Elara asks for it with her own hands. If Elias lives, page two is the only t
