Serenya’s POV
I padded up the stairs fast, each footfall quicker than the last, like I was being chased by something I couldn’t name. My breath came short, and by the time I reached my room door, I was bent over, both hands on my knees, sucking in gulps of air.
“What the hell was that…” I whispered into the silence, pressing a hand to my chest.
The encounter with Kaelith’s brother downstairs had left me rattled. The way he stared… no, leered, it wasn’t just uncomfortable, it was wrong. And that sickly smile. I’d seen charms before, but that wasn’t it. That was something else entirely.
I reached for the doorknob, desperate to just go inside and lock myself away when I noticed it, a soft light, flickering faintly down the hall.
I straightened.
It was coming from a slightly ajar door. K
