My body ached in places I didn’t even know could hurt, my muscles still trembling from the fight with the beast.
My hands, though trembling, gripped the edge of the table, knuckles white as I tried to steady myself, to gather the fragments of my scattered thoughts.
And yet, despite the exhaustion, despite the haze clouding my mind, one thought burned hotter than any pain: betrayal.
Every glance at the shadows seemed to hide it, every whisper outside my room seemed to mock me. And among all the betrayals I had faced, none stung more than the silence of Raul.
I hadn’t expected him. Not here, not now. The Seer, who usually operated in quiet observation, appeared as if he had silently glided into the room, the soft rustle of his robes betraying his presence only when he chose.
My gaze
