[IRAYA]
The final curl of smoke from the airport's departure board disappeared from view as the VIP van carried me toward the city skyline I hadn't seen in months.
I sat in silence, the tension wrapped around me like a too-tight coat. The betrayal, the confusion, the sheer absurdity of how I ended up here—all of it slammed into me over and over again.
Beside me, Lyander finally broke the silence.
"You must be pissed," he said, voice low. "You have every right to be. But this is your chance, actually . . ."
My fingers tightened around the handle of my bag. "Chance of what exactly?"
He grinned in that infuriating way, but I didn't let him finish. I turned my face away and stared out the window, watching the city unfold.
Snow-blanketed rooftops. Frost-kissed trees. Vendors bundled in wool and fur-lined coats called out from their market stalls, warm breaths puffing into clouds.
