Page 31 of Crowned In Venom

It is a command.

I bow. "Of course not, Matriarch."

She smiles as if she believes me.

But I see the doubt in her eyes.

I turn to leave.

And just as I reach the door?—

"You should be careful," she calls after me.

I pause.

Glance back.

"There are whispers in the palace," she says lightly, swirling the wine in her goblet. "A ghost has been seen lurking in your halls."

A deliberate pause. A warning disguised as a passing remark.

"I would hate to think you had secrets worth watching."

I do not answer.

I do not react.

I only nod once and step into the corridor, my pulse slow, controlled.

But inside?—

Inside, something boils.

Because I know what she is doing.

And I know what this means.

She has already set the pieces in motion.

She is watching.

Waiting.

And the next time she summons me, it will not be for a warning.

It will be to see if I am still worthy of her empire.

Or if I am better off buried with the rest of her disappointments.

11

ANYA

Ido not see Varkos for the rest of the night.

Not after his summons.

Not after he returned, his presence heavier, darker—like something had been clawing at him from the inside.

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