Cliff was satisfied with how much he had spoken during the meeting. The plans were in motion, the decisions made. Yet, a lingering shadow weighed on his heart, like an invisible rope tightening around his insides. As if everything was unfolding exactly as the Cursed Serpent had planned. The thought made him shiver inwardly, but he showed nothing.
The meeting had ended, the clans dispersing to implement the first directives. Only Cliff, Violetta, and the Cursed Serpent remained in the room, bathed in the golden light of the luminescent artifacts floating above them.
Violetta approached him, her silver dress flowing like a river under the moon. Her scent, both sweet and wild, enveloped Cliff before she even spoke.
"You were... convincing today," she murmured, an enigmatic smile on her lips.
Cliff turned to her, capturing her piercing gaze. "Convincing, or manipulative?"
She didn't even blink. "The two aren't mutually exclusive, are they?"
