I lay on the cold stone floor of the palace hall, my wrists bound in heavy chains that dug painfully into my skin. The iron links ran up to a hook in the floor, forcing me into a half-kneeling position that made every breath feel like a punishment.
My body still had not fully recovered from the beast’s attack. Every movement reminded me of the wounds that had barely closed. My ribs burned when I inhaled, and my left shoulder throbbed constantly where the beast’s claws had torn through flesh days ago.
Yet pain was no longer the worst thing.
The worst thing was the silence of the hall.
The watching eyes.
And the woman standing above me.
Selene. I now know that I hated her.
She moved slowly across the polished stone floor, the hem of her dark gown whispering against the ground. Her hai
