Seraphina walked to the foot of the bed. Her heels clicked against the floor, each step deliberate. She stopped and looked at Satori.
Braxton searched her face for a clue. Was that the cool assessment of a politician weighing a new asset? The anger of a leader whose authority had been challenged? Or just the quiet fear of a sister?
He found nothing. A perfect, serene mask.
Then Seraphina Vance did something impossible.
She turned to face Luka and Kimiko. She clasped her hands in front of her, fingers interlaced. She took a breath.
And she bowed.
A full, formal, ninety-degree bow.
Braxton's cigarette pieces fell from his nerveless fingers.
Luka's eyes went wide.
The President never bowed. To anyone. She was the apex of the hierarchy, the final word on all matters political, military, and social. Other people bowed to her.
"My title means nothing in this room. I stand here as a sister. Nothing more."
