CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

Lena's lips pull tight as she places the vase back on the shelf with a heightened precision, her eyes locking on every angle until it's back in perfect symmetry to the way she found it. The action instantly sparks a memory that shatters Lena's fragile facade of composure. She turns to me and speaks through gritted teeth, “My brother wanted this room, wanted it for himself like some sort of trophy. He was never content with his own chambers, three times the size. He'd hunt and then force our father to hang up the heads of whatever creatures he killed on my walls – something about him being the heir or some other nonsense that I never cared for. I just wanted my own space, somewhere I could be free from his intrusions, but they refused to let me have that."

I try to fill the void of silence and offer a feeble response, “Sounds like you two wouldn’t have gotten along as children.” Lena's face softens and a genuine smile spreads across it as if she is reliving fond memories. “It was nothi