Guilty
Clarisse heaved a heavy sigh for the nth time. She had lost count of how much time she’d spent in Brielle’s cell since her arrival, hovering over her like a mother hen, tending to her wounds and feeding her pieces of bread. Peering at the guard standing outside her cell, Clarisse wondered if Konrard was still outside and was waiting for her and any news on Brielle’s condition.
‘Or perhaps he’d already returned to the imperial palace,’ she thought.
There was no reason for him to be waiting long outside the manor gates. He might even earn Declan’s ire if he insisted on staying. Surely, he’d gone off and driven himself back to the imperial capital at this hour.
“Clary…”
Clarisse’s head whipped up immediately at Brielle’s soft call. She was weak, but with Clarisse’s arrival and care, she was able to regain a bit of energy. She gave her sister a smile, and Brielle smiled back but winced as the crack on her lips stung.