Serena glanced at Charlotte, catching the flicker of something unreadable in her expression, an almost hesitant parting of her lips, as though she wanted to speak. But before she could say anything, Riven turned to glance over his shoulder. His eyes, sharp and unreadable, lingered on them for a moment longer than necessary. There was no polite mask on his face now, only scrutiny. He looked to be carefully pondering over something.
Serena kept her expression even, her lips set in a straight line. She walked with her back straight, her steps measured. By every account, she had performed well. The Dawnbreak wolves had been stunned into silence when the announcement was made. That alone said enough.
But still… something coiled in her stomach like a serpent unsettled
.
Riven slowed, then gestured to a narrow stone archway just ahead, a path that led toward one of the lesser courtyards, shaded by old cedars and tucked away from the castle's more public paths.
