Thalia stared at the door of her room, her hands smoothing down the riding clothes Mira had left for her last night. The dark green tunic fit well enough, tucked into leather pants that were practical but made her feel exposed somehow. Her hair was pulled back in a simple braid that kept falling over her shoulder no matter how many times she pushed it back.
"I'm doing this." The words came out quiet, barely loud enough to hear. "I'm finally doing this."
She took three steps toward the door, then stopped. Her breathing picked up, coming faster and harsher until her chest felt tight. The room tilted sideways and she stumbled back, her shoulders hitting the wall.
Her hands were shaking. Her vision blurred at the edges. The air felt too thick to breathe properly and her heart was hammering
