MADDOX’S POV
I knew.
From the moment I stepped into the dinning hall, from the way the air felt too still, from the faint, lingering scent of her that was already beginning to fade—I knew.
Seraphine was gone.
I watched Raiden closely as he sat across from me, barely touching his food, his fingers clenching the fabric of his pants beneath the table. He was trying to hide his fear, but it was bleeding through every c***k.
Weak.
I took my time eating, savouring each bite, watching as his breath hitched every time I so much as looked at him. Letting the silence stretch, letting it suffocate him.
Then I asked the question.
“Where’s Seraphine?”
He flinched. It was quick—barely noticeable—but I caught it.
“She’s in her chambers,” he said, too stiffly. “She’s feeling unwell. The flu.”
