Vera’s POV

Trying to hide the fact that I hated Naeris more than anything else was probably the hardest thing I had done in a long time. Every smile she gave me felt poisoned now, and every kind word that left her lips now sounded heavily rehearsed to me. The only saving grace was that she had no idea that I knew about her true thoughts.

Which meant I had to keep pretending, and one of the things I hated most in life was pretending. Especially with someone who had enough strength of mind to look me right in the eye while she lied right through her lips.

After lunch,...