Arabella's frown deepened. It was impossible to guess where Morpheus was hiding. She reached out with her magic, feeling for the usual ripple of invisibility spells— but there was nothing. No cloaking magic, no glamour. This was something else entirely, something darker, and the realization put them instantly on edge.
"I should have pulled you into the castle instead of Ariel, no matter the cost," Morpheus's voice slithered through the air, cold and deliberate. The words were aimed like knives, meant to demean Ariel, and Arabella's frown tightened further at the obvious cruelty.
"You'll never succeed," Arabella replied at last, her lips curling into a cool, deliberate grin. She forced herself to stand tall, to feign ease, as though his presence hadn't unsettled her at all.
