ARIA’S POV

The night didn’t go well. I spent all night trying to make sense of what I’d heard, but every thought ended up worse than the last. Before I knew it, morning light spilled through my window, bright and blinding.

I shifted on my cramped bed, my body aching all over. I knew it was Alora’s doing, but I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of seeing me complain. I told myself today would be different, a fresh start — but that hope crashed the moment I heard the ...