Nadia's Point Of View
My tailbone felt as though it had shattered into a million tiny shards of pure agony. I lay there on the cold, unforgiving gravel, gasping for air, my palms scraped raw and bleeding where I'd tried to break my undignified fall.
The sharp, metallic scent of dirt and blood filled my nose, mingling with the bitter taste of humiliation coating my tongue. Yet the physical pain paled in comparison to the freezing terror that suddenly gripped my chest as I looked up at my brother.
Azriel no longer looked down at me. That savage, terrifying smirk stayed firmly plastered on his face as he slowly turned his head away, his dark eyes instantly softening as they landed on Seraphina. The transformation was immediate and complete… as if I'd ceased to exist the moment she entered his line of sight.
