Chapter 71 And Who Exactly Is That?

• The clock's chime faded into silence, leaving behind the weight of midnight and the start of a battle none of them had fully prepared for. Rosie watched as Maria straightened, smoothing down her crimson dress with the precision of a general adjusting armor.
• "Seven hours," Maria said, her voice cutting through the quiet. "That's all we have."
• William pushed himself up from his chair, crossing to the bar cart. "Then we'd better make them count." He poured amber liquid into crystal glasses without measuring—just feeling. Typical Devlin style, Rosie was learning.