Kael
The moment the soldier's footsteps faded down the hallway, the room fell completely still. Seraphina didn't say anything. She just stared at the floor like every piece of her strength had dropped out of her body all at once.
I hated seeing her like this.
I hated that she even had to hear words like stripped of her position as if she was the problem here. As if she hadn't been wronged in the worst way possible.
"Seraphina," I said quietly.
She didn't look at me.
Her shoulders shook a little.
I lowered myself in front of her and gently took her hands. "Look at me."
She breathed in unsteadily, then lifted her head.
Her eyes were red, and tired, and it made my chest tighten further. "You're not going alone," I said.
She blinked. "But Kael—"
"No," I cut in, I tried to keep my voice soft enough. "I'm going with you. They can threaten all they want, but you won't face any of them by yourself."
She exhaled shakily, but she didn't argue.
