Chapter 19

• It took me over an hour to cleanse my body of the blood that clung to it, scrubbing the stains that trailed across the floor as if they had branded my every step. When the task was finally complete, I slipped into the nightgown prepared for me and collapsed onto the bed in my chamber. I longed for the reprieve of sleep, but rest eluded me.
• The night was plagued with restlessness, haunted by nightmares that clawed at my sanity. This wasn’t the first time my dreams had been invaded, but these were different—sharper, more visceral. Every time I closed my eyes, Amara’s bloodied face loomed before me, her features twisted into an agonized grimace. She called my name, her voice cracking as she begged me to save her. But in the nightmares, I was always trapped—imprisoned behind bars, my hands bloodied from trying to claw my way out.
• The third time I woke up screaming, I gave up on the idea of sleep. Instead, I lay awake in the suffocating silence of my chamber, staring into the darkness until the first rays of dawn crept through the curtains.