SERAPHINA’S POV
The Maldives looked too beautiful to belong to Catherine.
That was the first thought that crossed my mind when the islands appeared beneath us, scattered across the ocean like pieces of green glass set into endless blue.
Sunlight spread over the water in dazzling sheets, turning the surface silver where the waves shifted and gold where the morning light caught them.
From above, it was almost impossible to imagine that anything monstrous could exist beneath so much beauty.
Then the mark connected to Jack pulsed.
The warmth of the ocean vanished from my awareness, replaced by the cold, familiar pressure of darkness waiting beneath it.
My fingers tightened around the armrest.
Kieran noticed immediately.
He sat across from me, dressed for battle, his dark hair swept back from his face, and his expression sharpened into the controlled calm that came before violence.
His eyes met mine as he reached across the narrow space between us and took my hand.
