en
mbers was kicked open withou
he ceremonial gown crafted for her upcoming royal engagement feast-a celebration that was supposed to have been mine. T
n my mother's worn leather journal, cataloging the neurotoxic and restorative properties of high-al
ce was a sharper slap
s the room, her clawed hand shot out, snatching the leather journal
ing the book against the baseboard. "A No-Dragon should learn how to b
I retrieved the book and gently brushed the dust fro
y fed her twis
larbone. "A gift delivered from Prince Krishna himself," she purred, her voice dripping with vanity.
ing down until her breath felt
ly. "He said you were a bore. A cold, defective No-Dragon whose very touch felt like handlin
eather journal, setti
ed with venomous frustration. Needing a heavier blade to d
makes sense," Deena said, flicking her golden curls. "You're
air inside the room tu
nger toward my chest. "A worthless parasite without a single drop of dragon blood! The moment Father took my mother, your mother was thrown into the freezing courty
ell into a dead, s
w her next breath, my arm m
around her throat w
Her back slammed against the heavy stone wall with a
, wet wheeze as her hands frantically clawed at my wrist. But my grip was for
y eyes locking onto hers with a
nolds," I
, and colder than the froz
an parade your stolen jewels. You can pl
tly, feeling the violent tre
d an inch closer, each word slicing like a razor blade across her skin, "...I swea
unhinged danger. She realized with terrifying certainty t
simply
down her cheeks. The two handmaidens dropped the velvet cases in horror,
onds, letting the cold terror sink deep
silk and jewels, clutching her bruised throat, gas
ually smoothing out t
chilling smile
one of the open cases scattered across the rug, and
n of moon-lily oil and crushed pearl that she religiously appli
for vengeance f
then, right before her terrified, tear-fi
my room," I
nees, clawing at the doorway before stumbling out into the corridor, her
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