The afternoon sun hung low over Raaya Villa, casting long golden shadows across the private garden pavilion where Jake had chosen to receive his next visitors. The council had ended hours ago, but the taste of it lingered—Lord Vexis's open scorn, the wary respect of the other houses, Seraphine's clever smile and her promise to remain for seven days. Jake sat alone on a wide cushioned bench beneath a canopy of flowering vines, a cup of chilled wine in hand, Raani standing silent guard a few paces behind him. The Dragon Maiden had not left his side since the council, her presence a constant reminder of the power he now commanded.
A soft footfall on the gravel path announced their arrival.
Three women approached, escorted by a single footman who bowed and withdrew at Jake's nod. They moved with the grace of old nobility, yet there was something desperate in the way they held themselves—shoulders too straight, smiles too carefully composed.
