Chapter 34

• The walk to Jace’s room wasn’t as terrifying as I’d imagined. Still, I couldn’t reach it without passing through the long, echoing hallway where the Elders usually held their secret councils. It was empty tonight. No footsteps, no murmurs—just the hum of the chandeliers above me.
• That should’ve been my cue to turn around. But curiosity has always been my worst sin.
• I crouched low, tiptoeing toward the thick oak door at the end of the corridor. The closer I got, the more my heartbeat synced with the silence. My palms felt clammy, but I pressed my ear to the door anyway.