Their chests.
Between them, a female silhouette, black against the red, hair whipping in a wind that wasn’t natural.
She laughed.
The sound scraped across my nerves like a serrated blade.
I couldn’t see her face.
Couldn’t tell if it was Elyra.
Lena.
Someone else entirely.
The blood on the ground coiled toward her bare feet like living things.
My stomach lurched.
The vision snapped.
I pitched forward, catching myself on one hand before my face hit the floor.
Pain lanced behind my eyes.
Warmth trickled from my nose.
I touched my upper lip.
My fingers came away red.
“Great,” I muttered, breathless. “Self‑induced nosebleeds. Very attractive.”
The candle had gone out.
The water spun one last slow circle, then stilled.
I sat back on my heels, wiping my nose with the back of my
