Xyla froze.

Ever since she saw Yulia again at the banquet, she had sensed that something about her had changed. The Yulia she once knew had no edge to her gaze, no aggression. But now, there was a strange yet familiar aura about her, one that Xyla couldn’t quite place—though one thing was clear:

It terrified her.

The current Yulia needed only a glance to make Xyla feel as though she were standing in a biting wind, sharp as blades.

Yulia ...