ia

on her cheeks. She looked like a fragile, broken doll, a calculated perf

diverted the guards' attention and secured enough stolen jewelry to k

s malice. She wiped her tears and took a step toward me, her voice dripping with fake, syrupy so

y for my chest. It wasn't a bow; it was a violent shove in

odern metropolis. I didn't even blink. I simply pivoted on my h

ith nothing to stop her, she tripped ov

pl

mented hay and drake bile from her mouth. The stench was apocalyptic, a su

n so eagerly!" I yelled, my voice dripping with exaggera

laughter erupted across the yard. These were men who spent their lives taking orders

eyond repair. The smell was so horrific that even her own Carlisle escorts took a ste

near the edge of the courtyard. He was the old groundskeeper of the estate, a ma

ets, I pulled out a small, tightly woven leather pouch. Inside were rare, drought-resistant whe

. "Plant them deep, water them sparingly. They will yield enough to feed your

idening in shock and profound gratitude. "B

cold green eyes were analytical, processing the stark contrast between the girl who had just viol

ou'll pay for this!" she shrieked, her voice cracking with hysterical rage. "The Carlisles will make sure you don't

he had just handed

ily intends to bypass His Majesty's decree and murder us on the road! The Dragon King sentenced us to exile, not death! If we die o

e about our family, but he cared deeply about the absolute authority of the crown. To usurp the King's j

tor, Darby's face drained of color beneath the sludge. Whimpering, she scrambled into her