Verity's pov

Kin’s body hit the ground with a sickening thud, the arrow still jutting from his chest. My scream never left my throat—it was trapped there, strangled by the phantom memory of his hands crushing my neck.

I scrambled back on all fours, my palms slipping in the pool of blood spreading across the floor. It coated my hands, warm and sticky, clinging to my skin. My body shook violently, my breaths shallow and uneven. I couldn’t look away from him—his almost lifeless eyes ...