FIONA
Anger, sudden and hot, flared up in my chest but I could not tell if I was angry at him or at myself for the way my body reacted to this man even when he was threatening me.
Suddenly the medallion felt less like an award and more like a noose around my neck. I wanted to rip it from my skin and fling it to the floor.
With an excited giggle, July began clapping first and soon everyone else followed. But beneath the warmth stirring unsteadily between my ribs, was pure fear.
Once I stepped foot in the palace my power would no longer be mine. It would be under the control of the Bishop and the king.
I would be used not for the villages hollowed out by the rogue attacks, but for the nobles who feared wrinkles around their eyes and weakness in their bones.
I would be forced to betray
