The carriage slowed to a halt, and I stepped out alone into the bright light of the Diamond Quarter. The Salon de Rose was a monument to ivory marble and climbing pink roses—the primary feeding ground for the capital's elite.
The moment I pushed open the heavy glass doors, the bell chimed, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop twenty degrees.
The salon was packed with noble ladies, many of whom were the daughters of prominent Earls and Barons. These were the girls who had spent years grooming themselves to catch the eyes of Julian or Caelum, only to find their spots at the Valerius estate usurped by a 'sister' who had appeared out of thin air.
As I walked toward the center of the room, the whispers grew into audible hissed remarks.
"Look at her," one girl whispered, a high-born wolf with eyes full of envy. "Walking in here as if the King didn't just call her a demon this morning."
