Chapter 17: Resistance
The room tilts sideways, and suddenly Ella can't tell which way is up. Her vision blurs at the edges as everything she's learned crashes over her in waves—mate bonds, tribrid heritage, parents who died protecting her, a destiny she never chose. The ancient walls of the study seem to pulse with malevolent energy, closing in around her like the bars of a cage she never realized she was trapped in.
"I can't," she gasps, pressing both hands against her temples as the world spins like a carnival ride gone wrong. "I can't do this. I can't handle any more of this."
Her knees buckle, and she would have collapsed if not for the chair behind her. The leather feels too hot against her skin, everything too bright, too loud, too much. She can hear everyone's heartbeats thunder
