SERAPHINA’S POV
At first, nothing happened.
Then the silence broke, splintering into low voices that rose and tangled into something sharp, edged with disbelief.
“What is she doing—”
“—is she insane—”
“That one—?”
The murmurs spread in uneven waves across the tiers. Shadows shifted as bodies leaned forward, interest sharpened not by cruelty this time, but by disruption.
I didn’t lower my paddle.
At the center of the pit, the masked figure stilled.
The handlers hesitated as well, their grip on the girl tightening as if waiting for instruction that hadn’t come yet.
Beside me, Kieran went very still, his jaw tightening; his hands curled on his knees, betraying tension.
“Sera,” he said under his breath, his voice low enough that it barely carried past me. “What are you doing?”
I didn’t look at him.
Truth? I had no fucking idea what I was doing.
But for some reason, instead of dissuading me, the uproar only cemented my decision.
“Trust me.”
