Lorelei

The celebration continued around me, a whirl of music and laughter and clinking glasses, but I couldn't shake the dread that had settled in my chest like a stone.

I stood at the edge of the great hall, my hand wrapped around a goblet of wine I hadn't touched, my eyes fixed on Cyrus. He was across the room, surrounded by his entourage, his smile wide and his laugh loud—the picture of a king who had just secured a lasting peace. But I had seen the way his eyes followed Nikolai. The ...