Two hours later, in the mansion reserved for the Vaise family members staying in the academy, there was nothing but silence.
The hall was filled with an odd tension that could be felt physically.
Despite meeting after a long time, no one said anything.
Raven sat at the head of the low-sitting table, fingers loosely laced together, his posture relaxed but commanding.
Beside him, Jake lounged like a lion at rest, calm, but with an alert stillness he was famous for.
Clara sat on the other side of Raven, her legs crossed, while her golden eyes glinted with an unknown light.
Across from them sat Jessy and Rufus.
Jessy, composure as ever, wore an expression that gave away nothing.
Her blue-streaked black hair was tied into a neat ponytail, and her deep-blue eyes held the calm of winter lakes.
But Raven saw the tiny twitches—the slight, almost imperceptible flicker of her gaze toward him every now and then.
Then there was Rufus.
