na

y ribcage, a heavy, suffocating counter

hurning sea of black tuxe

he Associates grad

sed to be a

coronation. For m

corner, clutching a glass of s

ched

holding court near the

iched intimatel

ence-though the neckline plunged deep enough

rown back, exposing the pale,

ering something agains

tifully refil

ked like

he ghost ha

ated around

lena rejected th

's c

. Look at how Dant

rystal glass until I feared

task before I

ily Gue

sacred

ating class

of unity, of blo

atures to close the

er of power before I e

s to move, walk

drop twenty degree

saw me

gar-sweet and grating. "The Princess

e tu

with a toxic mix of a

, Elena?" he aske

e heavy leath

ice steady. "Just sign it so I c

the book as if

or you," he sneered. "Not u

he question tumbled out

exist

thing the

inst the bar, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "You i

to scream. *My father built t

emained

natures," I repeated

o smi

ign," h

close, inva

cal notes. The ones you ma

legendary with

ng the rival territories,

o a conspiratorial whisper. "She needs help passing the writt

s ext

s pat

the fight drai

e about the

less to people wh

e them at th

ed the book f

gold pen fro

t sign h

hing in jagged

nded the p

w sound, and wrote s

n't write

h that familiar look of

, shoving the book

down at

"Future Ambitions,"

sgu

ofia's bubbly, chi

e, S

ing the sancti

re mock

ed up

e that ended ten minute

athroom and sobbed until

elt nothing but

d at th

t the trash can

't say

over to

barked. "What

et

avy leather book

al thud among the discarde

orthless," I said, my voice

c seemed

were

urned a violen

t up," he

" I

ed on

!" Matteo yelled after me

rd the exit,

retted was that I ha