The hall’s loud. Too loud. Forks clinking, nobles laughing at jokes that aren’t funny, the smell of roasted meat thick enough to choke on. I’m just sitting at the far end of the table, focused on my food like it’s the only sane thing in this world.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtqebkkK8F
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4FqNTQKfH
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvksSW45mc4
Honestly, I couldn’t care less about whatever “festival” this is. Witches, blessings, dancing—whatever. My current religion is this plate of honeyed bread.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0HmO8Qvxd
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4og4WPtHTW
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo69bch5cH0
Then I hear it.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2S1BZiMAu
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEcLg29TKk
A shout.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5wJZFL9KR
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniTL0O4bWR
Something crashing.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLU7Lwsh6Dk
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6h3l4c9Zq2
A few people gasp—then the laughter dies.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ662f46jglN
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1be6rA5hdo
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWp0HHsGeet
I stop chewing and look up. The air feels… off. Like everyone’s holding their breath at once.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5v01Q5iEw9
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPxazCkIqe
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05T9K6jAwz
Another sound—someone yelling, then a chair scraping across the floor. I frown, wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, and stand. From where I’m sitting, I can’t see much—too many jeweled heads in the way—but I can feel the panic spreading.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPCnzTDqeW
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagDvYpUM9l
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZU1aUHMZ3H
And then I see her.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCY1K1OBEN
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxmFuLkmNd
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLvgPH3Zkt
Clara.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZB6zOMzhuI
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5r25rMWn5o
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWJNCkizfo
She’s on the floor. Dress torn, hair spilling out like spilled ink. There’s sauce—no, blood—on her chest. People are backing away, covering their mouths, screaming.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPen9cihcK
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHCtNCnY3R
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0jYWB03nm
I blink once. Twice. “No… no, no, no—”212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkilI3xSHcS
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlTN6iwQhu
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHuoM72bce
I push through the crowd, almost tripping on someone’s stupid dress train. When I kneel beside her, everything feels unreal. Her skin looks… pale. Too pale. Her lips are turning blue.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvV9y5HfW0h
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6OsLSEOAL
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFzS6VRvld
“Clara?” My voice cracks. I shake her shoulder gently. “Hey. Wake up. You’re fine. It’s fine.”212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLo4E33IqA
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeB25XL7Vm4
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3VaTTt2m2
She doesn’t move.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3X3Pok2wv
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aXh2H9vb6
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1q1UwbUkfF
Her chest isn’t rising.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66B5uIBY5H
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifNfZXBM1J
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2zc4H5SqF
I press my fingers to her neck. Nothing. Just cold skin.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡze03O73cLS
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbqoWCBnH3
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMXu8hrRys
My stomach twists. I don’t even realize my hands are shaking until I pull them back and see the blood smeared on my palms.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrfNcKJhAh
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTtGTYFoiV
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Do3CMuVu8
Someone’s crying behind me. Someone else throws up.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNnWOXICEu
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFLHxVoGSg
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCK8K8CemlC
The hall is chaos. People are screaming, nobles tripping over each other to get away, guards shouting orders no one listens to. I can’t move. My knees are still on the floor beside Clara, who’s just… gone.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEiLzI5zqj
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmj72FxW8zd
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKhCZj4v3u
I keep staring at her face — pale, soft, peaceful in the most terrifying way. Her eyes are half open, like she wanted to say something before the end.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQinoypdfF
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkj0ahVXeNC
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZdiRSBRHD
Someone yells to “get the princess away,” but the sound feels distant, like I’m underwater. My pulse is pounding in my ears.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiza0VecKqG
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvxrOxDyLv
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoshkWJTKyT
And then—212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrfOBEYrp3
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTQV38kxKH
those footsteps again.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdg4Pgb4Xgj
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneqabpUPm2
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPrQVHR3Pr
Slow. Calm. Out of place.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIA5ROQUCk
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgMxpzQ8pG
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkKs94ySdN
I look up.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZ3xdu8gEj
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0pLfRnN75
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxAETJgPNE
He steps out of the crowd, golden hair messy and streaked with blood, eyes that sharp, unreal shade of blue that almost doesn’t belong in this world. Everything around him feels… quieter. The noise fades, the chaos dulls. Even the air feels heavy.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Id9xIkPju
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCBWotqiaS
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKc8Q2G2wNg
He just stands there, staring at me. Not the body. Not the guards. Me.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8kZFCaftm
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dAREo0MHC
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzINxkzzbkw
And for a second, I forget how to breathe.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0HQ5HWXPvU
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡph3GhDO61w
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBI8qTdaFz
Something about him feels familiar in a way that makes my stomach twist. Like I’ve seen those eyes somewhere before — not here, not now, but in another life.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6dYD77qY1
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1nJPDHjcT
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1taAHW2mUK
My heartbeat slows. The light in the hall starts to bend, stretching like melted glass. His blue eyes shimmer — and suddenly everything around me blurs.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeEmFcRPMB
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmdyZL15Ic
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRg1Noix6C
The screams vanish. The torches flicker and die.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzlfPqBrUe
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpGfT5jBQo
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXeSjSwnLEo
The floor disappears beneath me.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9Qb9UsIBs
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0xv1hdtFQ
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfghtK3XWeZ
And the last thing I see before everything turns black is his face — calm, distant — as if he’s been waiting for this moment for centuries.1234 copyright protection208ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kzfGE6Uej 尼

216.73.216.176