Rhea
I stare at Nora in shock. The air in my room suddenly feels too thin to breathe. My lungs burn as if the poison is back, but this time it’s just the raw, cold weight of the truth.
"How?" I whisper, my voice cracking. "How could he find me here? He’s human, Nora. He’s just a guy from our village."
"He was never just a guy," Nora says, her voice trembling as she wipes at her eyes. "He’s been working for them for years, Rhea. I didn't know at first, I swear. I thought he loved me. I thought he chose me because I was better than you. But he only wanted me because I was close to you. He needed a way to keep eyes on you every single day."
I feel a wave of nausea. Every memory I have of Marcus—the first time he held my hand, the way he told me I was beautiful, the "romantic" walks in the
