Seraphina's POV
Her mother's face breaks into a smile that doesn't reach her eyes.
That smile is what tells Seraphina everything. This isn't rescue. This is betrayal.
She runs from the window toward the door, but Lucien is already there, already pulling her back. His hands are urgent, strong. "We need to leave. Now."
"My mother—"
"Is working with Viktor." He says it like ripping off a bandage. "I'm sorry."
The words don't make sense. Her mother was chosen seventeen years ago. Sacrificial bride. Dead. Everyone said she was dead.
But she's not dead. She's standing in the courtyard in Viktor's colors, pointing at the window, pointing at Seraphina.
Lucien drags her down the hall. Behind them, soldiers storm through the palace. Footsteps echo everywhere. Doors crash open.
"There's a passage," Lucien says, pulling her into a hidden corridor. "It leads to the underground tunnels. We can reach the boats."
