"...that guilt may lead you to a dreadful decision." Her gaze settled fully on Hazel. "And that decision may cost your brother his life."
The words settled heavily in the room.
For a moment Hazel simply stood there, her hands slowly tightening at her sides as she absorbed what her mother had said. The candlelight flickered against the glass walls.
"You believe I would endanger him?" Hazel asked at last, her voice quieter now.
Her mother did not hesitate. "If your pity grows stronger than your reason… yes." The answer came cold and immediate.
The snake shifted again around her wrist, its body tightening slightly as though it could sense the tension in the room.
Hazel looked away briefly, her gaze drifting toward the tall window. Beyond it, the set sun stretched endlessly across the land, silently.
"And the girl? She might die after performing the ritual. Remember she is an Ordinary," Hazel said.
Her mother's fingers stilled on the snake's scales.
