Valen
I tossed and turned most of the night, unable to get the awful image of Mira’s face stained in blood out of my head. Each time I almost fell asleep, my mind would flash her face, scared and angry and hurt, behind my eyelids. It jerked me awake every time.
She’d been so beautiful last night. Even though her smiles weren’t real, it helped me imagine what she would be like if her eyes had been truly lit up with joy. Her face was bright and warm, like a spring morning.
And the way that dress had clung to her so delicately…
This is your fault, I’d said to Blaze more than once this evening, trying to force myself to sound furious. I’d never find her this beautiful if you weren’t poisoning my thoughts.
Keep lying to yourself all you want, he’d said every time.
And o
