Chapter19: Maerilee's Fourth

Maerilee I pace back and forth in my room, my mind a whirlwind of anger and frustration. How could I have been so blind? I should have seen it. I should have known what Direken was doing to my mother. The signs were there. His unsettling presence at the ball, that strange, oily feeling that clung to him like a second skin. It all makes sense now, but it’s too late. My mother lies poisoned, her strength sapped by his treachery, and I’m the one who let it happen. I clench my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I replay the moments in my mind, searching for something I could have done differently. How could I have missed it? My mother’s health has been deteriorating for days, and I just stood by, oblivious to the danger lurking right under our noses. I was so focused on finding my One that I didn’t see what was happening right in front of me. I should have been more vigilant. I should have protected her. Anger courses through me, hot and furious, directed entirely at myself. I can’t