ISOLDE

My sister still hadn’t spoken to me.

I’d tried all morning... gentle words, soft glances, even my patience stretched thin. Nothing. Elsa had sealed herself in silence, retreating into the bathroom with dripping hair and a face I could no longer read.

Prince Finnian had come before then, his presence heavy, his voice thick and cold when he told me what they’d found.

“The wolf fur that attacked you… It was discovered at the palace,” he said. “It was a warning, Isolde. ...