As Viana approached, passing a small, intricate rug, deliberately placed just off-center, shifted slightly beneath her foot. It was a nearly imperceptible movement, designed to catch her heel, to send her sprawling.
Viana felt the slight, unexpected unevenness beneath her heels. For a split second, her balance wavered. A gasp, a faint murmur, rippled through a small group of onlookers who had been watching, perhaps anticipating.
But Viana did not fall. Instead, she took an extra, fluid step, turning the near-stumble into a graceful pivot. She merely continued her path, her smile unwavering.
Rayne, who had been conversing nearby, saw the incident. A flicker of cold awareness passed through his eyes as he glanced at Agness, then back at Viana, with a slight smile.
Agnes's most persistent tactic involved words, of course. She would engage Viana in conversation, always with a polite smile, but her questions were barbed.
