¬ Hiln
Owena shot to her feet, annoyed. "You dare?! This ridiculous accusation again? Are you trying to cause an uprising?"
The vampire nobles stirred uneasily, several shooting me irritated looks. The serpents bristled, and Keane's expression had gone carefully blank.
"Your… Majesty, this is absurd," one of Owena's personal attendants hissed. "Making such claims about the High Priestess's son—"
"I feel the same way."
Every head turned.
Slin had risen from his seat, his gaze fixed on his brother with an expression I had never seen him wear. There was no warmth there or familial affection. Only a steady, unflinching certainty.
"I do not know how else to explain it," Slin continued, his voice quiet but carrying through the stunned silence. "His essence is the same. The way he moves, the way he speaks, everything appears normal." He swallowed. "But I firmly believe my brother is not the same person he has been for a long time now."
Owena's face went slack with shock.
