I stared into a sea of cold, pale faces, their expressions blank but their whispers vicious. The way their eyes sliced through me mocking, dissecting made my skin crawl. Whatever I’d done to deserve such contempt was a mystery, but it didn’t matter. I stood alone in the center of the arena, fully exposed under the scrutiny of the Night Council. This place wasn’t built for justice. It was designed to strip a soul bare.

The man in red folded his hands, and like a spell had been cast, the ...