38

Katherine Harrington “We are really doing this?” I looked down at my hands for what felt like the tenth time that morning. The cream-colored dress Amelia had chosen fit me perfectly, elegant without being overwhelming. The jewelry — delicate gold and silver pieces with small crimson stones — rested cool against my skin. My hair had been styled with such care that it almost didn’t feel like mine. None of it helped. My stomach was in knots. My palms were damp. Every breath felt too shallow. I exhaled slowly and glanced toward the massive double doors at the end of the corridor. Beyond them waited hundreds of the most powerful people in the empire — governors, generals, elders, regional Alphas, and nobles who had spent their entire lives maneuvering through blood and politics. And they