Circe crouched low on the floor of her brother's room, her fingers blindly sweeping beneath the bedframe as she searched for the dagger she had kicked under it the night before. Her dress pooled awkwardly around her, the fabric rustling softly each time she shifted her weight. She was so focused on her search that she didn't immediately register the faint creak of the bedroom door as it slowly swung open.
But when the sound reached her ears, her entire body stiffened instinctively.
She didn't look up. Her hand was still buried beneath the bed, fingertips grazing wood and dust. She knew without needing to turn that it wasn't her brother. Rowen was still in the gardens; she had seen him there not long ago. Whoever had entered the room was someone else.
Her suspicion was confirmed moments later when a voice spoke from behind her.
"Do you need help with anything, Your Highness?" Nieah asked, her tone light, almost teasing.
