I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat feeling twice as large as I stared at the sharp, calculating lines of his face.
I squeezed the edge of the velvet blanket tightly, forcing my voice to remain as steady as possible.
"E-Elara..." I stammered, my eyes wide as I prayed to the gods that he would just believe it. "Elara taught me the lyrics. She sang it to me once."
Draven didn't blink. He didn't move. He just stared down at me for three agonizing seconds before a low, gravelly vibration rumbled in his chest.
"You are a terrible liar, Seraphina," he said, his voice dripping with a quiet, freezing amusement.
"I knew the moment you opened your mouth that you would try to blame my sister. But there is a fatal flaw in your story."
He leaned in just a fraction closer, his shadow completely enveloping me.
