Chapter 99

• EWAN’S POV
• The music pounded through the main hall, and for the first time in months, I felt like I could breathe. No mother hovering over my shoulder, no expectations pressing down on my chest. Just me, the party, and the possibility that maybe I could be normal for one night. For one month.
• I adjusted my jacket and scanned the room. The Academy had done well with the decorations. Streamers hung from the ceiling, and the refreshment table groaned under the weight of food and drinks. Students clustered in groups, laughing and talking, and I realized I wanted to be part of it. Not because I had to be, but because I wanted to be.