"You lied to me."
Magnolia's voice cut through the silence like a blade honed on betrayal. She stood in the crypt beneath the estate, her bare feet dusted in ash, the hem of her dress torn, blood drying along her cheek. Her golden eyes, so much like their mother's, glowed faintly in the dim torchlight.
Camille didn't flinch. "I didn't lie. I waited. There's a difference."
Magnolia stepped forward, fury trembling just beneath the surface. "You told me the bond between us was dormant. You said it was broken at birth. That's why I couldn't feel you. But it's not. It's active. It's been active."
Camille's expression didn't waver, though her voice lowered. "Because it was safer that way."
"Safer for you, maybe," Magnolia snapped. "But what about me? I thought I was broken."
"You were protected."
"I was abandoned."
The torches lining the chamber flickered violently, reacting to the weight of her words. Camille's fingers tightened around the leather pouch hanging at her side.
