Rory's POV

The music was sweet, but every note felt like a trick.

Golden chandeliers burned above, spilling their light over the marble floors of the Academy’s grand hall. Velvet curtains framed tall windows, and beaded gowns shimmered in waves of crimson, blue, and silver. But no amount of glitz could hide the truth: this wasn’t just a ball.

It was a battlefield dressed in silk.

I fixed the mask pressed against my face, my heart beating too fast, too loud. I could feel eyes on ...