Elena POV

The music had barely faded from the hall when I felt Vanessa tug at my wrist. Her nails dug in just enough to let me know she wasn’t dragging me for pleasantries. I followed, my heels tapping against the corridor stones until we slipped into the side chamber. The door shut behind us with a soft click.

“You looked like you wanted to claw her face off,” she said, leaning against the table.

I dropped my mask of a smile. “If she’d stood any closer to Kael, I might have.”

Vanessa smirked. “Careful. People are starting to believe you actually like her.”

“Let them,” I muttered. “It makes...