The tension in the room thickened into an suffocating pressure. Odesse lunged forward, her silver eyes widening in sheer disbelief. "What! You must be crazy, Azure!"
Azure met her gaze with a serene, unbothered smile. She raised her hands in a lazy, mocking gesture. "Alright, alright. I shall let her down now."
With a careless wave of her fingers, the invisible hold snapped. Cara dropped heavily to the hard floorboards. The maid's mouth opened, stretching into a silent, agonizing gasp, but no sound came out. Odesse rushed to her side instantly, collapsing to her knees and pulling Cara into her arms.
"Are you okay, Cara? Hold on," Odesse pleaded.
Cara clutched Odesse's gown with white-knuckled intensity, her chest heaving as tears streamed down her face in absolute silence. Odesse looked up at Azure, her voice trembling with rage. "Release her voice, Azure!"
