Chapter forty nine
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Leera sits in her opulent chambers, brushing her dark hair with slow, deliberate strokes when soft footsteps approach her door. Her personal servant, Xeli, enters with barely contained excitement.
"My lady, I bring news," Xeli whispers, her eyes gleaming with the kind of gossip that spreads like wildfire through the castle.
"Speak," Leera commands, not bothering to turn from her vanity mirror.
"The half-blood… Faelyn. She has lost the pregnancy."
Leera's hand stills mid-stroke, her reflection showing the slow smile that spreads across her lips like poison honey. "Truly?"
"Truly," Xeli confirms, stepping closer. "The healers worked through the night, but the dragon essence within the child had already faded. They had to remove it to save her life."
A laugh bubbles up from Leera's throat, soft and melodious, yet utterly devoid of warmth. She sets down her brush and turns to face her servant, her eyes sparkling with cruel delight.
