Chapter 36 Aftermath

• "The hallway felt heavier after that duel."
• The training hall door slammed shut behind me with a thunderous crash that echoed through the stone corridor like the tolling of funeral bells. The heavy oak trembled on its iron hinges, and I heard the muffled sound of Gideon's boots against sand as he finally pulled himself to his feet.
• My chest rose and fell in uneven breaths, the cool night air burning in my lungs, but my spine stayed rigid as castle walls. I wouldn't let anyone see how badly my hands shook, how my wolf still paced restlessly beneath my skin, caught between triumph and the instinctive knowledge that I'd just made myself a target.