Seraphina's Point Of View
I stood there for a moment, my boots practically glued to the linoleum floor, shifting the weight of those stupid cardboard folders against my ribs. The air felt thick, almost suffocating. Rose and I exchanged a long, panicked look that seemed to stretch for an eternity. Her eyebrows shot so far up into her hairline they nearly disappeared, her eyes screaming danger, danger without her uttering a single sound.
My pulse hammered in my ears. I swallowed the dry lump lodging itself in my throat, forcing my features to smooth themselves into something vaguely neutral, though my heart continued its frantic rhythm.
I cleared my throat, summoning the fakest, most cheerful office voice I could muster. The words felt like they had to be dragged from somewhere deep inside me. "Of course we are colleagues, Lydia," I said, forcing brightness into each syllable. "We all work under the same roof, don't we?"
