—Mabel—

I slowed before the double doors and pushed them open.

The cool night air brushed against my skin as I stepped onto a lonely balcony. The scent of jasmine and white roses filled my nostrils.

I spotted a garden below.

Two swans floated silently across the pond, their white feathers glowing like porcelain under the moonlight. The male flared his wings, puffed out his chest, and dipped his head low in what looked like a choreographed routine toward the female.

At first, the female ...