Cora woke the next morning. Sleep crusted her eyes as she rubbed them with her fists. She felt as though a war had been waged and she was the only casualty. The bed she and Nova laid on was humongous, but it’s lumpy mattress did little to offer comfort. The strain on her nerves didn’t help. She stretched her arms out, a yawn escaping her throat as she tried to will herself awake. Tomorrow was their birthday, the moon feast, and the day they left this hell hole behind them. Suddenly, she shivered, the memory of the King’s presence watching her and her sister as they slept came flooding back to her. Her stomach immediately twisted into knots and she brought her arms to her chest, hugging herself in a protective stance. Her eyes caught hold of something white draped over the velvet lined chai
