CIAN
I watched from the window of my study.
Below in the gardens, Fia stood with her sister. From this distance, I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could see their body language. Hazel had her arms around Fia. Her face was pressed against Fia's shoulder. Her whole body was shaking like she was crying.
It looked like a reunion. Two sisters embracing after a difficult event. The concerned sibling checking on her wayward sister and being the bigger person. Anyone watching would have seen exactly that.
But through the bond, I felt something else entirely.
Fear. Sharp and sudden. It spiked through my chest so hard I actually pressed a hand against my ribs. Then came something worse. Horror. The kind that made your stomach drop and your skin go cold. Fia was terrified down there.
I leaned closer to the window.
Hazel pulled back slightly. Still holding Fia's shoulders. Still crying. Her mouth was moving. She was saying something. Her expression was devastated. Heartbroken.
