Elara tripped over nothing and crashed hard onto the dirt road, scraping her palms and knees.
She stayed on all fours for a long moment, breathing fast, blood from the transfusion sites still seeping through the bandages on her arms. The night air was cold against her skin. Her high-collared dress was torn and dirty, one shoe missing.
She pushed herself up slowly, swaying, and kept walking. The neutral territory stretched dark and empty ahead of her.
“Darius…” she whispered, voice hoarse. She hugged her arms around herself and laughed bitterly. “You really did it. You really threw me away.”
Every step sent sharp pain up her legs. She stumbled again but caught herself on a tree trunk, pressing her forehead against the rough bark.
Memories flooded in without permission.
“You’re so beau
