I couldn’t stop thinking about the poison I had swallowed while helping Xavier save Logan. Why did I still grieve the pieces of myself he had stolen, when I had already lost so much since coming here?

I should have known the moment I took Xavier’s hand — I was stepping into a world of cruelty I could never escape.

Amara walked in again, this time carrying two plates — one for me, and one for Xavier. She offered me a plate, but I shook my head. “I told you, I’m not hungry,” I ...