All eyes turned to Odessa.
She was a woman who drew attention wherever she went, though she rarely sought it.
Her skin was smooth and unmarked, but her eyes held the weight of centuries.
Odessa was dressed simply in a long grey robe. Around her wrist, she wore a single silver bracelet, plain and unadorned, but those who knew of such things would recognize it as a focus for power that few could hope to master.
Cornelia stared at the black-haired woman with a frown creasing her brow.
There was something familiar about Odessa's face, something that tickled at the edge of memory. Where had she seen her before? When had their paths crossed?
Odessa looked at the Siren Queen with amusement dancing in her eyes.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips, a sound like wind through dry leaves.
"Ashen?" she repeated, as if the word were some jest she didn't quite understand.
"Who, me?"
The laugh that followed was warm and rich, filling the great hall with its music.
