SERAPHINA’S POV
"Sera? Are you okay?"
Only when Kieran called my name did I realize that I’d been staring at my reflection from the blackened laptop—eyes wide, lips parted, chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.
My thoughts were scattered, looping back to the words Lionel had spoken as if they were hooks lodged deep in my chest.
‘There’s a fire. Moonlight Alley.’
“I’m fine,” I said automatically, even as my pulse raced.
Kieran’s eyes searched my face, doubt flickering, suspicion deepening in his furrowed brow.
“No, you’re not,” he said, voice soft. “The news about the fire affected you. Why?”
I swallowed and dragged a hand through my hair, finally turning away from the laptop. I rose, crossed the room, and leaned against the edge of his desk, grounding myself in the solidity of something bearing my weight.
“Moonlight Alley,” I said slowly, “is where Alois sent me months ago. For a trial. It was a step I had to take to reach the Origin Archives.”
