Chapter 17

• The cold night air nipped at Chloe’s skin as she sat beneath the ancient willow tree outside the palace grounds. Her knees were tucked against her chest, her face buried in her arms. The silence of the night surrounded her, but inside her heart, a storm raged.
• Her mind was a tangle of betrayal and pain. She couldn’t shake the image of Kael and Astrid from her head—Kael’s arms around Astrid, the way they seemed so close.
• "Was it all a lie?" she whispered to herself. She was a coward. She couldn't even muster the courage to leave the palace.