Chapter 253

Evelyn PoV I ought to have guessed that Odessa always had a hidden agenda. When she first took me in with her pack, she wore a smile very much like one of triumph, but I chose to believe that it stemmed from the weight of my own power that I bore. I told myself I could keep her at bay. I could stay sharp, keep control somehow, and leave at the right time. I was mistaken. The summons came at the dawn of another day. A simple message written with agonising care trailed under my door. A “Come to my chambers. Immediately.“ For some reason, a heavier thump was felt in each step I took there. Odessa had a gift for making even her allies tread a fine line—the bottomless pit lying just a step away—but with me now fidgeting and uneasy, something felt amiss. Odessa sat on her desk chair with a glacial calmness about her as I entered. Last time I checked, she didn’t invite me to sit, suggesting a loss for my side in what might be an interesting debate. "Evelyn," she said, softening her tone but s