Seraphina’s POV

The drive north was gruesome, a relentless stretch of asphalt that seemed to drag on for a lifetime. Lucien had insisted that we travel by car, his voice leaving no room for argument. He claimed it was the only way to avoid suspicion, to stay beneath the radar. A part of me felt like he was hiding something—another secret tucked away in the dark corners of his mind—but I tried to push the suspicion down. He was doing this for my own good. He had to be, right?

Still, the ...