The mall was a cacophony of sound and movement.
It was Christmas Eve, and even as the winter sky deepened into a bruised purple outside, the shopping center remained a hive of activity. Selena moved through the crowd, her arm linked with the maid’s. The woman guided her with practiced ease, whispering descriptions of the storefronts they passed—the boutiques Selena had frequented before the world went dark.
The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and the dry heat of the ventilation system. Beneath Selena’s feet, the tiles felt cold and unyielding. Here, she was at her most vulnerable. The few decorative plants scattered throughout the mall were too far away, their voices too faint for her to summon. Even if she could reach them, she didn’t want to use her Verdant Bond in su
