_Lisa's POV_
I followed Fenric out of the room with stiff legs. My heart was still racing from the confrontation. He hadn’t shouted. He hadn’t even scolded me. Instead, he had smiled, lied, and acted as if nothing had happened. That was far more terrifying than any outburst. That calm and quiet deceit. That cool mask he wore. My stomach churned.
Sierra was quiet inside my head, but I could feel her watching through my eyes. She was just as tense as I was.
"We’re not safe here," she finally whispered. "He is hiding too much. That wasn’t just a lie. That was practiced and planned."
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. Not yet.
The hallway stretched ahead like a long and narrow throat, and every painting on the wall seemed to watch me. I kept my eyes forward. My fingers tingled. The air felt to
