Thalia’s POV:
The moment Lillian’s door shut behind me, I was swallowed by the night.
I pulled my cloak tighter, the fabric rough against my fingers as I kept my head low, my face hidden. The road to the castle stretched before me—empty, shadowed, too quiet. My breath came in sharp, uneven bursts, each step quicker than the last.
*Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.*
I should have stayed. Lillian had offered me shelter, but no—I’d been too proud, too desperate to flee before more rumors could take root.
“She’s a witch."
“Black magic."
The whispers clung to me like smoke. I wasn’t a witch—I knew that much—but what had happened today? That hadn’t been me. It had to be the girl. Lillian’s daughter.
And now, because I’d been reckless enough to intervene, I was paying for it.
A gust o
