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But this. This was a line that anyone with a beating heart wouldn’t cross.

I could do nothing but watch in horror. Using the same force as with my other things, she sent the heart hurtling toward the floor.

My own heart shattered alongside the pieces, and I sucked in a shuddering breath. My knees took the brunt of my fall as I collapsed before the sight of my broken memories. A few tiny shards pierced my skin, but I welcomed the slicing pain. Maybe if I didn’t tend to them, the pieces could remain, become a part of me. At the very least, leave scars as evidence of their existence.

Hot tears poured in an endless flow down my face. As with years of practice, I grieved in this room in silence. I wouldn’t cry out loud. I wasn’t even sure I knew how to anymore.

The tide of trauma swept me away, back into its unforgiving currents. My diaphragm worked in spastic bursts, gasping for air in a room that held none, only heartache.

No part of it was salvageable. The largest chunk held too many angles to be recognizable from the smooth, perfectly curved work of art it’d been before.

“Tomorrow, we begin tailoring your gowns.” Eucinda carefully avoided the mess of glass, making her way to the stairs, one hobbled step at a time.

I didn’t know how long I’d stayed there, motionless and almost unbelieving. All I knew was that enough time had passed for my unending well of sorrow to twist into a simmering rage.

My perception of the world sharpened with cold clarity. By the time I was done, every single one of them would pay.

Every. Single. One.

18

Nora

Iwaited for Melody to finish her morning brew. Sleep had somehow claimed me last night, but since I’d woken, I’d felt it. The vacancy in my eyes and in my voice. My sister peered at me through her beautiful, long, dark lashes while taking another sip of unsweetened coffee.

“Are you alright, Nora?” She kept her question quiet.

My thumb stroked my fingers, playing an imaginary instrument of melancholy. I stared, but was unseeing. Listened, but was unhearing. A line formed on her forehead and concern shone in her eyes.

“Hm?”

“Are you alright? Did you have a bad shift last night?”

Memories swirled to the forefront of my mind. Caine seated at his desk with a malicious gaze. Eucinda sat stoically on my bed. The last remnant of my mother’s love in pieces in my waste bin.

“Yes, I did. Are you almost ready?”

Melody would be just as devastated if she learned the truth. With that would require the explanation as to why her mother cared so deeply that I also vie for the prince’s hand. None of that was her burden to bear, and I had already made plans. I nodded to her cup.

“Mhm.” She hastily downed the rest and set the teacup on the counter.

“Great, let’s go.” I strode for the door.

The sun struggled to break through the bleak, cloudy sky, but the fleeting warmth on my face did nothing for the frigid mass in my chest.

“Oh, that’s lovely.” Melody inhaled deeply, as if she could breathe the sunshine. If anyone could, it’d be her. What a privileged life she didn’t even know she led to be able to enjoy a thing so small.

“Come on,” my words were clipped before I trotted down the stairs and front path into the street. There was a decent amount of foot traffic today, and I resented every individual that temporarily slowed my pace.

“You’re in a hurry.” Melody’s shuffling feet struggled to keep up.

The market crowd thickened, but I didn’t bother changing course. My elbows nudged a few more ribs than normal. I weaved through the throng, essentially snarling at those who had the nerve to smile or laugh near me. Their joyous expressions may as well have been dagger blades, slicing me with every crease and dimple or melodic sound. How were they so oblivious? This world was only filled with cruelty and opponents to fight against, whether physical or internal, and the lucky ones found something to fight for.

Today, I was feeling lucky.

Reaching the middle of the market square, I spun around and gave Melody a stern command. “Wait here.”

She stopped like she’d run into a brick wall. Almost never did I use such a sharp tongue when speaking with her. A sliver of guilt wormed its way beneath my skin at seeing her big blue eyes stare back with a pinch of hurt and confusion. I didn’t let that show, however. I was sure she saw nothing but cold steel reflecting in my brown eyes. Like a predator hunting its prey, I couldn’t be deterred.