a's

mind. When morning came, I felt like I'd been running all night. My phoenix magic ba

at breakfast, but her voice sou

My stomach churned

late." Father didn't look up from

felt like I was drowning in honey. Eve

ise Damon with brea

" Mother's smile ne

thing was wrong. Everything was wrong. But maybe seeing Damon would f

omehow, even with the sun shining. The guards waved me through w

balancing the breakfast basket on my hip

ned and my m

. Not flare

of glass that caught the morning sun. Papers whirled around me in a tornado

ed the basket, fighti

couldn't see or understand, burning brighter and wild

ed, I stood in a destroyed r

kay. You're okay. Just... wedding

where they belonged. That's when I saw them. Architec

Moonhaven. My home. Bu

n. And there, circled three times in crimson ink: Grandmother's sealed ritua

marks. More locations. They made a patt

bed

made me jump. Familiar

have to wait one more

helf, pressing myself into the

ade my heart stop. Love? "After t

room. Her silver hair was a mess. Her dress was backwards. An

o

Damon. My fiance. He reached for my sister and p

e kiss

Completely, utterly si

on murmured against Selene's mouth. "Father

his hair. "I'm tired of pretending

re." He kissed her again. Deeper. "She'll be gone,

t was probably minutes. Then they left together, his hand on the small of

n around me, and I wondered if I was still dreaming. Stil

eye. It must have fallen from Selene's p

to read to us when we were little, before she died. But this w

he Forceful Remova

nts. Ingredients. And at the bottom, underlined twice: Subject mus

l plans. At the red marks forming

droom at t