Page 50 of A Kiss From Death (Oath of Vengeance #1)

Mama took me on a walk to the edge of Lunaria today.

I’ve never traveled that far away from the castle before, and it was fascinating.

She took me through the heart of the city, and we stopped by one of my favorite bakeries for a sweet treat on the way.

We traveled on until there was no more land to travel.

She gripped my hand, leading me up to the edge of the giant rock we call home, and let out a deep sigh.

She told me this was her favorite part of Lunaria to visit when she was feeling like the walls of the castle were closing in on her.

Through the clouds in the distance, I spotted buildings far below, circling what looked to be a giant lake in the center.

Confused, I asked Mama who lived down there.

She told me sometimes in life, we come across bad people who want to hurt others.

She said the place below was created a long time ago for the bad people to live because they have fallen out with the good people who live up here.

She said it’s like being put in timeout—permanently.

She said it’s an old practice that doesn’t happen anymore, but the people decided to stay down there and start families and grow communities.

I snuggled into Mama’s side and prayed I never got sent down there to timeout with the bad people.