Evelynn couldn’t stop laughing. The laughter burst from deep inside her. She laughed until tears filled her eyes and her stomach hurt. The years of fear, loneliness, and heartache all seemed to vanish. She couldn’t remember the last time she laughed this hard.
Her body felt lighter. Her heart felt freer. She didn’t feel like she was merely surviving anymore. She felt alive. Was this what it felt like to have friends?
Evelynn’s entire life had been built around isolation and lies. Her parents had hidden her away to protect her from the visions. Her friendship with Midas and Leo was carefully measured so that they would never know her secrets. As a child, she learned to make herself small and unnoticeable so the bullies would forget her.
Books became her friends. She found heroes, loyal
