"...Seris."
The name slipped past my lips, heavy and raw in the quiet of the massive library.
The girl sitting behind the desk tilted her head.
Her raven-black hair shifted over her shoulder, and those deep crimson eyes locked onto mine. A soft, amused smile spread across her pale face — a smile so natural, so completely believable, that for a fraction of a second, my heart pounded against my ribs.
My mind spun in circles. What is she doing here? Is Seris actually the leader of the Hollow Syndicate? How could she run the largest black-market network in the world while sitting through lectures at the Academy?
I took three slow steps forward, my eyes glued to her face. I pulled back a chair and sat down across from her desk, folding my hands in my lap.
We stared at each other in total silence.
"..."
"..."
She didn't break eye contact. She leaned her chin on her palm, watching me with a playful, curious glint in her eyes, as if waiting to see what I would do next.
