Chapter 18

• The weight of their words crushed Chloe like an avalanche. The whispers, the sneers, and the cold stares of the court felt suffocating. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to get out, to escape the hall before her composure shattered completely. Without a word, she turned on her heel and walked briskly toward the grand double doors, her head held high though her vision blurred with tears.
• The murmurs behind her grew louder as the court watched her leave.
• “How rude!” one of the elders muttered, his voice loud enough to carry across the room.