The next afternoon, I walked into the awards hall. Minutes later, Vesper arrived on Soren's arm.
When she saw me, she frowned, then looked away.
Soren pulled her straight over. "Rhodora? What are you doing here?"
I smiled. "You thought pulling my entry would stop me?"
He paled. "You know…"
Vesper suddenly pointed at my neck. "Sister, what's that red mark? Shouldn't you cover up for an event like this?"
Seeing my expression freeze, a triumphant smile touched her lips.
In my head, I cursed Leander a thousand times over. I'd given him a little leeway last night, and he'd gotten carried away, leaving marks all over my neck. I'd already done my best to cover them, yet she'd still noticed.
Soren's eyes went dark. He grabbed my chin. "Who did this?"
"My husband," I said, pulling away. "T
