Selena Vane moved through the great hall like she owned it, every step precise and unhurried, her gaze never once leaving Ethan even as she came to a stop directly across from Lily. Up close, she was even more striking than Lily had expected sharp cheekbones, calculating dark eyes, and an aura of quiet, practiced confidence that made Lily feel painfully out of place in her ordinary jeans and sweater.
"So this is her," Selena said, tilting her head slightly as she studied Lily with open, unhidden assessment. "The human girl causing all this disruption."
"She has a name," Ethan said, voice clipped.
"Of course she does." Selena's smile was thin, polite, and entirely without warmth. "Lily, wasn't it? Ethan's stepsister, before all this."
The word landed with deliberate weight, and Lily fel
