of fire shooting up my legs. I gritted my teeth, forcing mysel

s probably a frenzy of

give her an

e deserves th

s is messed up. I

n. "How are you holding up, Ava? Is it hard? Maybe

t be so hard on her. It's just sand. I had to walk

ved city sidewalk. The audacit

on my soles was already starting to blister. I kept my eyes on the horizon, a blur

oice was filled with a terrifying rag

ed and flew ahead of me. One of the bodyguards

objects rained down onto t

il

, sharp points glinting in the s

wasn't just a lesson a

couldn't wa

from above. "Or we'll add

en, covered in angry blisters. Then I looked at t

but I blinked them back. Crying was a sign

huddering breath

ced the soft flesh of my arch. Blood, dark and thick, pooled around it, s

ne was a fresh agony. My feet were being

"Mr. Stone, this is going too far! Her feet are bleeding profusely. Sh

ed coolly. "She's tougher than she looks

she has a delicate constitu

ered, just loud enough for the microphone to catch it. "She t

you're above us, Ava? You've always been afraid of things that c

h terror. I knew my de

guard reappeared, this time with a can

contents onto the sand, a sh

thering across the hot ground, their

ghing with Liam about my paralyzing phobia. He

y mangled feet forgotten, my entire being consumed by a

d scales and the memory of a promise he wa