Chapter 9
It was the day of the hunt.
Cinder was so scared that she could barely eat. But she ate everything she could get her hands on. It wasn’t much. Just scraps from her stepfamily’s table and leftover bread from the day before. But it would be enough.
She nearly gagged when her sour stomach tried to refuse the food, but she had to eat. She had to be strong tomorrow.
Her stepmother, in all her generosity, or perhaps guilt, allowed her to ignore her chores for the day. Cinder wanted to go to Silver’s cottage to practice, but Silver had told her not to come that day.
She was supposed to be relaxing and gathering her mind and body for the big night. She didn’t know how she was supposed to relax. She’d never felt less relaxed in her life.
So she wandered into town when she should hav
