Before Voren could respond, a mindlink shot through his consciousness, urgent and sharp.
'We need the crown and necklaces. I'm coming for them.'
It was Oriana. She had been keeping watch on them since they left the event hall, her presence a silent sentinel in the shadows.
'Okay.'
Voren responded without hesitation, his thoughts swift and sure.
"Mom is coming for the crowns and necklaces."
He moved to their secret jewelry safe, his fingers working the hidden mechanism with practiced ease.
The wall slid open, revealing the vault within. He removed the crown carrier first, a sleek black case lined with velvet, and placed both his and Seraphine's crowns inside. Then came the necklaces, the mythical stones pulsing with soft, otherworldly light as he lifted them from their resting place.
He closed the box just as the doorbell rang.
His footsteps carried him quickly across the room, and he pulled open the door to find his mother standing there, her expression unreadable.
