I spent the rest of the day trying to process what had happened. My lips still tingled from Daemon’s kiss, and the memory of his touch lingered like a ghost I couldn’t shake. Brenda’s excitement only made it worse. She acted like we’d won some grand victory, but I didn’t feel victorious. I felt... confused.
How had I gone from hating Daemon to this? And why did my body betray me every time he was near?
That evening, I retreated to the solace of my room, hoping to clear my head. I lit a candle on my bedside table, the faint lavender scent doing little to calm my racing thoughts. The mirror above the dresser caught my reflection, and I frowned at the woman staring back at me.
“Pull yourself together,” I muttered under my breath.
A knock at the door interrupted my self-criticism. My heart
