Lyra's POV
A strange tingling sensation crawled up my spine, making me shift uncomfortably in my dress. The feeling was familiar yet foreign, like déjà vu wrapped in anticipation.
Poppy noticed my unease immediately, her fingers finding my elbow in a gentle squeeze.
"Everything will work out fine," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the orchestra. "Trust me, your body already knows what it needs to do."
"She's absolutely right," Kenji interrupted, and I whipped my head toward him in surprise. For the first time since I'd known him, his words weren't laced with mockery or disdain. He pulled Seraphina closer against his side, his eyes never leaving her face.
"The moment I spotted her on that dance floor," he continued, his voice softer than I'd ever heard it, "I knew she was the most stunning woman I'd ever seen. The moonlight caught that silver gown she wore and made her look like something from a dream."
