Zara
MidnightThe clocks tolled, each heavy note vibrating through the silent halls of my room like a pulse. I crept from my room in stockinged feet, every nerve straining at the faintest sound. My heart beat so loudly in my chest I was sure the sentry wolves patrolling the eastern grounds could hear it.
My fingers curled around the invitation now in my pocket, crumpling its black paper edges. Don't go. Don't go. I changed into a simple robe and slipped outside. Talia's words haunted me with each step, echoing beneath the hush of the moonlit corridor. But my curiosity burned hotter than fear. Hotter than guilt.
I climbed the stone stairwell to the East Tower, each step icy against my soles. As I rose higher, a strange warmth curled around me, thick and perfumed. My throat tighte
