The opulent silence of Elreth's borrowed chambers in the Leclair estate felt heavy, a stark contrast to the boisterous energy of the beach and the explosive thrill of her spar with Nero. The memory of his lightning, the shared exhilaration as they fought to their heart's content, and the crushing weight of her father's command, still greatly troubling her.
She felt adrift, a pawn in a game whose rules had suddenly changed. With a trembling hand, she activated a different, more personal communication seal—one that bore the gentle, flowing emblem of her mother's house.
