Aria/Lysara’s POV

It was nice being out again—nice to see the world again and not having to stare at the cold, unmoving stones of the palace walls.

I breathed in the city’s scents—gasoline, melting snow, and roasted chestnuts from a nearby stall—and smiled. The air stung my lungs with every inhale, but it was a kind of pain I’d missed. The kind of pain I wanted to enjoy again and again. I hated being cooped up in a single place. Ever since I had drawn breath, in my previous life ...