Despite the whispers that surrounded her with each step Ari took through the grand room and up the stairs, she felt oddly at peace. Maybe it was because everything had come full circle and even if she died at this point, things would be okay. Benjamin would be saved. Alaric would be safe. Her parents could go on living their lives peacefully without fear or worry for her.
And Zadkiel…well he would do whatever it was he did in his spare time. Knowing all of that, it made it easier to bear the weight of hundreds of gazes all boring into her back making her feel more exposed than she ever could. Every beat of her heart felt like the tick of a bomb ready to give out the second any of them drew too close or too curious. Afterall, she couldn't put her faith in laws that she knew nothing about.