“THE EARTH TREMBLES”

Elvira

I buttoned the last button of my black coat, staring at my reflection in the tall gilded mirror. My hair fell in dark waves down my back, the ends curling rebelliously. My eyes, once mossy and warm, now looked like shards of malachite under dim morning light. A glint that hadn’t been there before reflected back at me. Colder. Sharper. Deadlier.

I flexed my fingers, feeling the callouses at the base of each. My ...