Theodore
The banquet hall hummed with laughter and chatter, but I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling crawling under my skin. Violet had stepped out with Helena a while ago, but I hadn’t seen her return. My eyes scanned the crowd, searching for a flash of her dress or the shine of her hair, but she was nowhere in sight.
Dahlia approached me, concern flickering in her gaze. “You’re restless. What’s wrong?”
“Violet,” I admitted. “She’s been gone too long.”
Before Dahlia could respond, a firm hand tugged on my arm. I turned to see the High Priestess, her expression calm but urgent.
“Walk with me,” she said, gesturing toward the doors leading out of the banquet hall.
I hesitated, but something about her demeanor left no room for argument. I followed her to the threshold, where the noise o
