idst of the meadow as it clung to me, filling my lungs with every breath. Red-ha

est confidante, my sister except in blood. She had passed away by now. I said in a tre

ventually, rage. I sensed that they were staring at me accusingly. The weight of thei

ora, and I knew without turning around that her voice was as piercing as a knife. She was once

. I spun around, looking for a glimmer of hope, a speck of trust, among the sea of faces. But all I s

breaking point in an attempt to convey my desper

. His cold blue eyes met mine, and for an instant, I thought I saw confusion flash through

d been since the rejection, it se

what i

ing voice. He came to a stop a few steps away from me, commandin

n this.

How do I put it? How would I account for the unexplainable? Although I hadn

this happened. As I peered down at Lila's corpse again, my breath caught. Her chest had a huge, vici

his eyes grew gloomy. "Nixie," he snar

Ta

ted, my voice frantic. This is how I

ia

you. I witnessed your assault on her. Did you not feel jealous

of emotions that was surging inside of me. I was experiencing an internal

y are you

ce the truth always surfaces." You have, in actuality, always

ind his eyes was visible to me. I could see that he wanted to believe me base

my hands, and Nora's lethal remarks.

d cautiously in his direction. "You are familiar wi

his silence. Our relationship, which had once been so close and full of promise, felt

snarled, folding her arms across her chest. Zane, beware o

e mist. Now that panic was gnawing at the margins of my consciousness, my breath came in short gasps. That was it

momentarily believed I caught a glimpse of regret. But t

you're b

ike ice water. Exiled. The only thing in our existence that is worse than dea

No

a strangled whisper. Please say n

place no longer welcomes you. As I gazed at him, my heart broke into a million pieces. Even though our relationship

ir murmurs as piercing as blades and their eyes full of disgust. The enormity of what had just transpired crashed

wards. But just when I was about to lose it all, an i

ed. Free of Zane and his harsh command. And perhaps, just perhap

just one thought racing through my head, I fled into the darkness and the unknown. I would discover the reali

one else was observing me as I melted into the forest's

tmare, I started to question whether I had just wa