Chapter 69
Zeraphine's POV
The girls’ laughter echoed around me as they skipped ahead, their golden curls bouncing with every step. They held hands, their small forms glowing under the soft light of the hall. It was moments like these that brought a fleeting sense of peace, though I knew it wouldn’t last. Not tonight.
Not with Draven watching me.
I could feel his eyes on my back, burning into me as if he could will the answers out of me. My shoulders stiffened, and I tightened my hold on the edges of my dress to keep my hands from trembling.
How could I explain myself? How could I make sense of something I hadn’t even fully understood myself?
“Mama, are we going home now?” Alera asked, her voice cutting through the whirlwind of thoughts in my mind. She turned to look at me, her wide,
