THE SIGHTThe sun was setting, casting long, bloody shadows across the stone floor of the bedroom. Esmeralda sat by the window, her hands trembling in her lap. The silence of the castle felt heavy, like a held breath.

"You're shaking," Demetrius said, walking into the room. He didn't come closer right away. He just watched her from the doorway.

"It's the air," she lied. "It's getting colder."

"It’s not the air, Esme. You’ve been staring at that same spot on the floor for an hour. Talk to ...