Maerilee's Fourth

Maerilee

I pace back and forth in my room, my mind a whirlwind of anger and frustration. How could I have been so blind? I should have seen it. I should have known what Direken was doing to my mother. The signs were there. His unsettling presence at the ball, that strange, oily feeling that clung to him like a second skin. It all makes sense now, but it’s too late. My mother lies poisoned, her strength sapped by his treachery, and I’m the one who let it happen.

I clench my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I replay the moments in my mind, searching for something I could have done differently. How could I have missed it? My mother’s health has been deteriorating for days, and I just stood by, oblivious to the danger lurking right under our noses. I was so focused on finding ……