Faye's POV
Someone had tried to poison me.
The realization hit me like ice water as I stared at the cup in my trembling hands. The liquid inside swirled with an oily sheen that shouldn't belong in simple tea. My pulse hammered against my throat as I set the porcelain down with deliberate care, every movement calculated to avoid detection.
My mind spiraled through questions that had no good answers. Who was this girl pretending to serve me? What happened to my usual attendant? Most disturbing of all, why did she wear Hardy's house colors with such casual authority?
Could Hardy have ordered this? The thought twisted in my gut like a blade. No. Impossible. He had witnessed my abilities firsthand, seen their value. Unless he had decided they weren't valuable enough to keep me breathing.
The door clicked open before I could process the implications further. The same girl stepped inside, her movements too fluid, too predatory for a simple servant.
