Page 54 of Tears for a Broken Sky

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“Ashton,” he calls. “He’s ready.”

The king doesn’t enter. Just laughs from the shadows.

“Good,” he says. “Let’s see how loyal broken men can be.”

I stand.

And I go.

Not for them.

Not for her.

For justice.

For what they took from me.

Chapter 14

Elira

It had been days. Days. And I had hardly seen them.

I hadn’t seen my Shades at all, save for the few moments we ate together at night.

They hadn’t slept in my room. Not once. Not since…

I was trying not to be hurt. But I didn’t understand. Before, they had been everywhere… but now?

I guessed they were busy. Things were certainly more focused as of late.

But still.

Why didn’t they come?

I was staring at my face in the mirror. Pale skin. My wildly messy black curls.

My eyes were too bright—blue like gas flames. Too bright for my face.

Behind me, Maddie lounged across my bed with the easy grace of someone who belonged in dresses like the one she wore.

“Come on,” she whined. “I’m hungry.”

She appeared in the mirror’s reflection, stretching like a cat. Even with the scar on her cheek, she looked beautiful—glowing in soft green, her violet eyes matching the sweep of her braided hair.

I glanced down at my own outfit—new, clean, tailored to fit. It still felt like someone else’s skin.

I tugged at the hem, uncomfortable. Wrong. And next to Maddie… I didn’t look right.

“What are you doing?” Maddie asked me.

I flushed and stepped back from the mirror. “Nothing,” I muttered.

“Elle,” she warned.

“I feel stupid,” I grumbled.

“Why?”

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