Slightly pissed off, Aria walked even faster, her bare feet hitting the floor with a little more force than necessary as she ignored the people trailing just behind her. Her breaths came uneven, shallow, as she tried to suppress the way her heart slammed against her ribs like it was trying to escape.
But the closer she got to Zyren's quarters, the worse it became.
Her eyes snapped toward the guards stationed at the doorway. They didn't question her, didn't blink—just parted like they had been ordered in advance, their stoic silence suffocating.
Her heart thudded louder in response.
A sickening weight settled deep in her chest as she realized, aside from Rymora, she likely wouldn't be allowed to take any of the other maids in with her. Not that it mattered. None of them even tried. They glided into the room, faces blank, arranging her belongings with the speed and precision of people eager to be gone.
