Cherry was in utter disbelief.
Absolutely nothing happened.
For several suffocating moments, the sacred basin lay still and lifeless. The runes carved into its rim glimmered only faintly before fading altogether. The thick silver liquid remained dull, flat, like dead water. The chamber held its breath.
A ripple of whispers surged through the crowd. Nobles shifted on their feet, eyes narrowing, lips twitching as they muttered to one another. Some servants gasped. A few even smirked, smug that their suspicion of the "new red-haired girl" was already proven right.
Cherry began to panic.
Her eyes darted to Roland, who stood at the dais like a storm, arms folded, gaze sharp as steel. His jaw clenched tighter by the second. If he declared the test void, if he ordered Auburn seized… everything would crumble.
Cherry's breath caught. She turned to look at Auburn.
The girl's face was stricken white, her lips parted as if she'd forgotten how to breathe.
❧
