Sleep wouldn't come. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the guard's face, surprise, then pain, then nothing. The light leaving his eyes. The way his body had crumpled.
At 3 AM, I gave up. I wandered the mansion's dark hallways in bare feet and pajamas, no destination in mind. My feet carried me to Theron's office. I sank into his leather chair and stared at nothing.
My hands trembled. I pressed them flat against the desk, but they wouldn't stop shaking.
The room tilted. Air wouldn't fill my lungs properly. My chest constricted, heart hammering like it wanted to escape my ribs.
I couldn't breathe. Why couldn't I breathe?
"Thalia." Zephyr's voice cut through the panic. He was suddenly there, kneeling beside the chair. "Look at me. Eyes on me."
I tried to focus but the room kept spinnin
