18
Lianna
BAM, BAM, BAM!
I keep dreaming about sledgehammers in my sleep. When I finally open my eyes, I realize that the sledgehammers are real. Sort of. Someone’s pounding the hell out of Maxon’s front door. I rub my groggy eyes. I’m still in Maxon’s bed.
BAM, BAM, BAM!
“Maxon, is that you?”
BAM, BAM, BAM!
“Okay, not you.”
The sleepy haze in my brain starts to clear. Maxon went off to have breakfast with his grandmother. After he left, my goal was to sleep, not have my eardrums implode.
BAM, BAM, BAM!
Holy hell, that’s annoying. Time to make it go away. I sleepwalk out of bed, pull on one of Maxon’s robes, and shuffle to the front door. I grip the handle and pause.
“Who’s out there?”
“Royal courier. Open up, please.”
I blink hard. Royal courier? Whoever this is, they must no
