Page 58 of Savage Crown

SERAPHINA

Lartina is a viper dressed in silk.

Beautiful. Deadly. Coiled in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

And if I don’t find a way to strike first, she’ll sink her fangs into Rylan and bleed him dry.

That thought burns through me as I slip through the lower halls of the Midnight Den, my breath controlled, my steps light.

Rylan may doubt me, but I know my instincts.

And my instincts tell me that Lartina is the real enemy.

If I can prove it, if I can uncover something that shatters her hold over him, then maybe—just maybe—I can save him before it’s too late.

Or maybe I’m just trying to save myself.

___

I know Rylan’s world well enough to understand power is only real if no one sees it slipping through your fingers.

And Lartina?

She’s been pulling the strings for far too long.

I press myself against the cool stone wall outside one of the inner chambers, my heart steady, my ears sharp.

Lartina is inside.

Talking.

Scheming.

I catch snippets of the conversation, my body tensing as the words slither through the heavy wooden door.

"He doesn’t trust me yet, but he will."

A pause.

A low chuckle.

"And then we’ll take everything from him."

My nails dig into my palm.

I knew it.

She’s playing him.

Using his doubts, his weaknesses—using me.

A rustling sound—paper shifting, documents exchanged.

I need to see what she’s giving them.

I move instinctively, slipping through a narrow corridor that leads to a side entrance. It’s a gamble—a single mistake, and I’ll be the one caught in the trap.

But I’ve played this game before.

---