Chapter 34 Nicholas Was Here?

• The convoy of buses and sleek black cars wound down the tree-lined road like a parade. The chatter inside each vehicle buzzed with equal parts excitement and dread. Sterling Entertainment’s annual outing was notorious for leaving its mark, one way or another.
• Seraphina pressed her face lightly against the window of the black car, eyes widening as the camp came into view. It was sprawling, tucked beside a glittering lake that reflected the late afternoon sun like a mirror. Wooden cabins dotted the clearing, their dark timber polished to a gleam. Fire pits were arranged in circles, hammocks swayed lazily between trees, and there was even a long dock stretching out into the water.
• It looked rustic but even rustic under Sterling Entertainment’s banner was something else entirely. The cabins were more like miniature villas, their porches strung with lanterns and their roofs newly shingled. The gravel paths were lined with fresh flowers, and the air smelled faintly of cedar and pine.