Seraphina
The Academy had transformed for the formal dinner. Golden banners hung from the ceiling, and hundreds of candles cast dancing shadows across the great hall. Long tables groaned under silver platters and crystal goblets. It was magnificent and terrifying.
I tugged at my dress uniform, the stiff collar scratching against my throat. Around me, cadets stood in nervous rows, waiting to be presented to the visiting nobles. My hands shook as I tried to smooth down my short hair.
"Stop fidgeting," Elias whispered beside me. "You look fine." Fine. If only he knew how far from fine I really was.
The great doors opened with a flourish, and the nobles swept in like a parade of peacocks. Lords in velvet and silk, ladies dripping with jewels, all of them radiating the kind of confidence that came with never doubting your place in the world. At the head of the procession walked a vision in emerald silk.
Lady Mira Goldthorn moved like liquid music, her golden hair piled high and adorned with sapphires. Her dress was cut to perfection, showing just enough skin to be daring without crossing into scandal. She was beautiful in the way that made men forget their own names.
"Talon's fiancée," someone whispered behind me. "Isn't she gorgeous?"
She was. She was also dangerous, I could see it in the way her blue eyes catalogued every person in the room, filing away weaknesses and secrets for later use. Talon stepped forward to greet her, bowing low over her gloved hand. "Lady Mira. You honor us with your presence."
"The honor is mine," she replied, her voice like honey over steel. "I so wanted to see where my beloved spends his time."
Her gaze swept over the assembled cadets, pausing here and there on particularly handsome faces. When her eyes reached me, they lingered for a heartbeat longer than necessary.
"And who is this?" she asked, gliding closer.
My throat went dry. "Seth Thornbrook, my lady."
"Seth." She said my false name like she was tasting wine. "How interesting. Talon has mentioned you."
Had he now? My pulse quickened, but I kept my face blank.
"Nothing too scandalous, I hope," I said with what I hoped was a casual smile.
"Oh, quite the contrary." Her perfect lips curved upward. "He says you're... mysterious. I do love mysteries."
The way she said it sent chills down my spine. This was a woman who collected secrets like other people collected jewelry. Dinner was announced, and we filed into the dining hall. I found myself seated at one of the lower tables, far from the nobility but close enough to watch. Lady Mira held court at the high table, charming everyone around her with wit and laughter.
But I noticed something else. Her eyes kept drifting toward Talon, tracking his every movement. And when Talon looked my way, which he did often, those amber eyes studying me like I was a puzzle he was determined to solve, Lady Mira's smile grew sharp as broken glass.
"She's watching you," Ronan said quietly from beside me. I nearly jumped out of my skin. "What?"
"The lady. She's been staring at you for the past ten minutes." His calm brown eyes flicked toward the high table. "The question is, why?"
Before I could answer, Lady Mira rose gracefully from her seat. "Excuse me," she told the table with a dazzling smile. "I simply must powder my nose."
She glided from the hall like a swan, her emerald skirts rustling. Several young lords watched her go with obvious admiration.
"I should..." I started to rise, some instinct warning me to stay in the safety of the crowd.
But Ronan's hand on my arm stopped me. "Careful," he said, so quietly only I could hear. "Predators hunt best when they get you alone."
His words made my blood chill, but they came too late. A servant appeared at my elbow.
"Begging your pardon," the man said with a bow. "Lady Mira requests your presence in the rose garden. She wishes to speak with you privately."
Around the table, my fellow cadets looked impressed. Being singled out by a lady of her rank was an honor most of them could only dream of.
It felt like a death sentence.
"Of course," I said, forcing another smile. "I'd be delighted."
The rose garden was beautiful in the moonlight, but its shadows seemed deeper than they should be. Lady Mira stood by a marble fountain, her emerald dress making her look like some otherworldly creature.
"Seth," she said warmly as I approached. "How kind of you to join me."
"The kindness is yours, my lady. Though I can't imagine what you'd want with a simple cadet."
"Oh, but you're not simple at all, are you?" She began walking slowly around the fountain, and I found myself turning to keep her in sight. "Talon tells me you're quite the accomplished fighter. Beat him in front of the entire class, didn't you?"
"I got lucky."
"Luck." She laughed, the sound like silver bells. "How modest. But I wonder, where did a village boy learn such skills?"
The question hit like a blade between the ribs. "My cousin taught me some basics. Nothing fancy."
"Your cousin." She stopped walking and faced me directly. "How fascinating. What was her name?"
My mind raced. Had I mentioned Elena's name to anyone? I didn't think so, but...
"Mary," I lied. "Mary Thornbrook."
"Mary Thornbrook from... where was it? Millbrook?" Lady Mira's smile never wavered, but something cold flickered in her blue eyes. "Such a small village. I'm surprised anyone there would know enough to train a fighter."
"Like I said, nothing fancy. Just some basic moves."
"Mm." She resumed her slow circling. "And your family? What do they do in this little Millbrook?"
Each question felt like a trap. "Farming, mostly. A little blacksmithing."
"How quaint. And yet here you are, keeping up with boys who've been training since they could walk." She paused behind me, and I felt her presence like ice against my back. "Boys from noble houses, with the finest teachers and the best equipment. Curious, don't you think?"
I turned to face her. "I work hard, my lady. That's all."
"Hard work." She nodded thoughtfully. "Admirable. But there's something else, isn't there? Something that sets you apart from the others."
The way she said it made my skin crawl. Did she know? Had she somehow guessed what I was hiding?
"I'm afraid I don't follow."
"Don't you?" She stepped closer, close enough that I could smell her perfume, jasmine and something sharper. "I watch people, Seth. It's a hobby of mine. And when I watch you, I see someone who's very careful about how they move, how they speak, how they... exist. Like you're afraid of being seen too clearly."
My heart hammered against my ribs. "Everyone's nervous around nobility, my lady. It's only natural."
"Natural." She reached out and touched my cheek with one gloved finger. "You have such soft skin for a village boy. And your voice, it's quite musical, isn't it? Almost... delicate."
I stepped back quickly, my pulse racing. "I should return to the hall. People will wonder—"
"Let them wonder." Her blue eyes held mine, and I saw something predatory swimming in their depths. "I like to know my rivals, you see. It helps me understand what I'm dealing with."
"Rivals?" The word came out strangled.
"Oh yes." Her smile was sharp as a blade now. "I've seen how Talon looks at you. How he follows you with those golden eyes of his. And I've seen how you react to the attention."
Relief flooded through me. She thought Talon was interested in me romantically. She had no idea about the real danger his growing suspicions about my identity.
"My lady, I assure you there's nothing.."
"Of course not." She waved one hand dismissively. "There never is. But I wanted you to know that I see you, Seth Thornbrook. I see you very clearly indeed."
Before I could respond, she swept past me toward the hall, her emerald skirts rustling like serpent scales.
I stood frozen by the fountain, my hands shaking. That hadn't been a conversation, it had been a warning. Lady Mira might not know my real secret, but she'd marked me as a threat to be watched.
Movement in the shadows caught my eye. A tall figure emerged from the doorway leading back to the hall, Kieran, his pale eyes scanning the garden until they found me.
"Seth?" He strode toward me, concern clear in his voice. "I saw Lady Mira corner you. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," I said quickly, but my voice shook. "Just... tired. It's been a long evening."
He studied my face in the moonlight. "What did she want?"
"To ask about the Academy. About training." The lies came easier now, but I hated how they tasted on my tongue. "Nothing important."
Kieran's expression suggested he didn't believe me, but before he could press further, I was already moving toward the hall.
"I should get some rest," I called over my shoulder. "Good night, Kieran."
I practically ran through the corridors, desperate to reach the safety of my room. The formal dinner was still going on, I could hear laughter and music from the great hall, but all I wanted was to be alone. I pushed open the door to my room and stepped inside, already loosening the stiff collar of my dress uniform.
That's when I saw it. A folded piece of paper sat on my pillow like a poisonous spider.
With trembling fingers, I picked it up and unfolded it. The message was written in elegant script, the kind taught to noble ladies.
"I know what you are."