BRIANNA’S POV
My boots were still caked in dust as I pushed open the front door of our home. My mother turned from the kitchen, wiping her hands dry on a towel, but the moment she saw my face—my bruised arms, the torn fabric of my blouse—her expression turned into one of horror.
"Brianna," she whispered, rushing forward. "What happened to you?"
I sat down slowly at the dining table, my hands trembling.
"I went to Kayt’s community," I started. My voice was hoarse. "I had to see where she came from, to understand. But... I shouldn’t have gone. I was attacked."
Her face paled as she knelt in front of me. "Attacked? I told you not to go there. Didn’t Kayt warn you as well? Goddess, are you—"
"Kayt saved me," I interrupted. "If she hadn’t been there... I don’t even want to think about wha
