Vexena stomps back over to where Syraleth still writhes weakly against her magical chains, her jaw twisting with deep, unpleasant thoughts.
She faces the baroness, who immediately stops writhing under the Demon Queen's snarl, before turning away to face the gathered team, eyes set hard, every trace of the doting mother from minutes ago scoured completely from her expression.
"I've been manipulated!" she says, flat and bitter, each word seeming to cost her something as it leaves her mouth.
"What do you mean, Mother?" Veena asks, worried, the concern on her mother's face flooding her own in turn.
