Mara
We ate in silence, each of us trapped in our own thoughts. The air was heavy—too heavy for small talk. We weren't just anxious. We were waiting. Bracing.
Martha sat quietly beside Vander, her usual fire dimmed. My father had seen her while I slept, dosing her with something to take the edge off. She managed a weak smile, but it never reached her eyes. She was scared—for Lacy, mostly. And she had every reason to be. Lacy had crossed every line with Darian and Lucian. She’d tried to kill Darian’s mother. Helped her father rob Lucian blind. No apology could fix that.
“Have you told the guards to prepare the room for interrogation?” I asked Lucian.
Martha’s eyes flicked up, tense.
“Yes. It’s the most soundproof one we have,” Lucian replied.
I nodded, saying nothing.
“She’s just a c
