For a brief moment, she wanted to look away, to pretend she did not care, to just capture the figure and move on with her life. But that would not be her. That would be fear. And running from the truth was never her way.
Taking a steady breath, Nnenna moved closer. Her guard stayed up, ready for anything, as her fingers reached for the mask. Slowly, she pulled it away.
Just as she expected, a familiar face emerged from the shadows.
"Emily…" Nnenna's voice came out in a whisper, her expression unreadable.
The revelation did not hit her like Darius's had. Perhaps she was already too wounded to be surprised again. Or maybe… Emily's betrayal simply connected the missing pieces.
It all made sense now. The first time she had seen her was at the market in Lionara's capital. Then again at the coronation, though she had never understood how Emily had managed to slip in unnoticed.
Now, she did.
