Dravina POV

“Maybe she didn’t want to make a fool of herself,” I said, though my voice was taut with confusion. “I warned her once that if she ever tried to slap me again, she’d regret it.”

I gave a small shrug, still trying to untangle Dashira’s strange behavior. “Maybe that’s why. I don’t know. But…” I hesitated, unease tightening in my chest. “Something about it was… wrong.”

Malrik exhaled slowly, the kind of sigh that spoke of realization a puzzle piece ...