ZARIA'S POV
The entire banquet hall went dead silent in a fraction of a second. The booming laughter, the clinking of heavy silver glasses, and the loud music from the musicians all vanished in an instant, replaced by a heavy, suffocating quiet that made my ears ring.
Cassian’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. He didn't even look at the shattered crystal on the table, the sharp fragments scattered over the food, or the water soaking quickly into the polished wood—his sharp gaze tracked my eyes straight down to the terrified servant’s hands. The man was still holding the gold pitcher, but his fingers were shaking so violently now that the metal rattled loudly against his rings. The pale powder caked between his knuckles was completely exposed for everyone at the head table to see.
The
