phin

the room. He stood guard at the door, a human cag

of pain when she saw my pale complexion and the faint bruises on my neck, but she was a

ping sound drifte

happening? I heard

s a vision of fragile innocence in a white silk nightgown, her fe

had fooled me for

to her side, his voice thick with concern. "Isabelle, y

a look of pure terror. "Sister, why are you doing this?" she sobbed. "

ainted me as the villain

r performance, my e

t me. "Seraphina! Look what you've done to her! Give m

augh almost es

y deliberate approach made Isabelle shrink further into

r, my eyes dropping to her flat s

"Weren't you just telling everyone that you were pregnant? So devoted t

hed. She hadn't expect

e had used a supposed pregnancy to try a

convince me of her love for you that she swallowed a bottle of 'Purple Ghost Root' just a few da

acient, a poison. Isabelle would never

ith suspicion. If she were truly pregnant, why

ried, her panic rising. "S

n-shaped silver pendant she always wore around her

supposedly makes you immune to all poisons. If that's

t tug. She yelped in pai

ed to intervene, I r

wung

it echoed in the dead

AC

one f

k, her eyes wide with disbelief. Valerius was stunned into s

es locked on Isabelle's. Then I

never pregnant. And your trysts with the Captain of the Guard in the stables.

r too late. She had used a fake pregnancy to gain V

ce. She stared at me, horrified, her

away from him, his gaze boring into her,

y words, combined with Isabel

acherous sister, their sordid little alliance crumblin

y full height, a vict

voice ringing with newfound power. "D

eraphina Beaumont, the woman who would one day be the tr

oice cut through the tension. "Your