I did not speak. I only watched her, my face revealing nothing.
"He was with Silvia." Marion's hands twisted together, betraying the nervousness her voice tried to hide. "She was holding onto his arm, smiling like she'd won something precious. He gave her a pendant—a crescent moon, set with diamonds. The kind of piece a man gives to the woman he intends to keep."
I nodded slowly, as though she had merely reported the weather.
"There are only two days left before the ceremony," Marion continued, her voice catching. "Elena, I'm sorry. I thought you should know what you're walking into."
"Thank you for telling me," I said. The words came out flat, empty of the gratitude they should have carried.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," I answered, too quickly.
Marion studied my face for a long moment, searching for cracks in the mask. Finding none, she finally withdrew, leaving me alone with the shadows and the distant echo of children's laughter.
I stood there for a long time, watching the candle flames dance against the walls.
Then my phone vibrated softly in the hidden pocket of my gown—the secure line that only one person possessed.
Jeris.