Back at the atelier, the air was thick with the metallic stench of blood. Streaks stained the floor where Melva had been beaten, her breath shallow but steady. The Queen Mother’s eyes narrowed as she took in the sight.

“That’s enough,” she snapped, her voice cutting through the room like a blade. She waved her hand in annoyance. “This is no fun anymore. I see it now. That whore is truly Cain’s daughter. No compassion. No heart. Not even for her own servant.”

Her fury twisted ...