ISABEL'S POV
I sat in bed with my knees folded up to my chest, staring silently into the empty space before me. My thoughts circled endlessly around Elder Lowell’s words from this morning, about the ritual and Leo’s reaction to it.
Elder Lowell had suggested the ritual in hopes of freeing Leo permanently from the dark curse. Even though he’d mentioned there was no guarantee it would work, I had wanted to at least give it a try. But Leo had forbidden it. Now, my hands were tied. I couldn’t go behind his back—not after seeing how furious he’d been earlier today just at the mention of it. For the first time in a while, Leo’s anger had been directed at me, something I hadn't felt or seen in weeks. He had even gone as far as threatening to lock me up if I pursued it.
The memory made my stoma
