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A cold, wretched understanding crossed my former VP's face. “Bach,” Violet whispered, her eyes straining as she searched mine. “What did you do?”

“You didn't tell her yet?” Sherman asked.

I'd been bracing myself for this since yesterday morning. It allowed me to keep my tone emotionless. “I did what I had to.”

“You asshole!” she shouted. My cheek burned from her open-palm slap. Gritting her teeth, Violet stormed off into the crowd of gawking onlookers. Let them stare—I deserved to be shamed like this.

Sherman looked down his nose at me. “Why didn't you warn her?”

I glared up at him, my lips twisting in a snarl. “Fuck you.”

“Eloquent as ever. Well, enjoy the show. I sure will.” Done gloating, he walked down the aisle. I didn't look to see where he sat, I didn't give a shit. None of this mattered anymore.

Why am I even here?

The question burned in my gut until I couldn't ignore it. I distantly heard the stage hands announcing the first acts, the lights overhead shifting in colors to suit each song. None of it reached me. I could have been at the bottom of the ocean.

“...Come along, hollow bones. Stay strong enough to keep me up.”

The thick misery in my head was cracked open.

That's my song.

I stared because this couldn't be real.

Amina was on the stage.

“Hollow bones aren’t so bad. It’s a hollow heart that’s rough...” She was wearing the same glittery purple dress from the gala. As she swayed under the lights, she looked like a living firework. If anyone tried to touch her, they'd be burned by a sparkling energy too pure to be contained.

That was probably why she sang for as long as she did—people were too shocked to stop the girl who'd barged onto the stage without being announced. “And I'm sorry that I'm empty. I'm sorry there's nothing here,” she crooned. “But hollow bones are what let me fly... they help me escape the fear. And I—” Someone had cut the mic. She kept singing anyway, her voice so clear and powerful it rose above the surprised shouts. “I'm sorry I want to go! I'm sorry you're so low! If you fill my hollow heart... I won't go, I can't go.”

The determination in her beautiful face gave me strength. It demanded I run to her. “Amina!” I roared, trying to get through the massive crowd that had formed in the aisle. People were cheering, others blocking the way as they took photos. Security was rushing the stage; I couldn't get to her.

Ineededto get to her.

“Amina! Amina!” I yelled her name so loud that I was sure Heaven would hear me. She turned her head—had it worked? Did my voice reach her ears?

Then multiple security guards collapsed on her.

Shoving my way forward, I fought with all my might to get to the stage. My throat was raw from screaming; I don't know what I was yelling anymore. The world was pandemonium.

Grunting, I pushed the last of the people who dared to block my path aside. I'd done it—I was at the stage! PA's rushed around, clearing things away, chatting in their headsets.

There were so many people cluttering the stage. Not a single one of them was her.

Amina was gone.