VERA’S POV

~ Six days to the ancient rites~

I had just folded the last piece of laundry when I heard the door slam.

The sound echoed through the maid quarters like a gunshot which totally scares me. I flinched, my heart leaping into my throat. The other maids had left for lunch, and I had begged off, needing the quiet. It was one of those rare moments I could breathe, just for myself.

But the moment shattered the second I saw who ...