Elira's POV
I didn't intend to be here this late. Combat theory had run long, Kestra insisting on an additional demonstration round that left half the class limping toward dinner, and by the time I reached the second floor reading rooms most students had already cleared out for the evening meal.
I had been reading for perhaps twenty minutes when someone sat down across from me.
She was striking in the way that made you understand immediately why people noticed her before she said a word. Tall, black hair pulled back in a style too precise to be casual, green eyes that moved across me with an assessment so thorough it felt almost physical.
"You're the new one." she said. "Lara Vane."
"Yes." I said carefully.
"Seraphina Vale." she stated, extending nothing beyond the introduction. "Eve
