"Then I had to go and fall for the one man made of stone and thorn."
She laughed bitterly. "Of course I did. Of course I thought maybe—just maybe—he was soft underneath. He caught me when I slipped that one time in the hall and I… I thought maybe he cared. But tonight?"
She swallowed hard.
"He said what no one dared to say. That I don't belong."
She washed, slowly. Picking leaves from her hair. Rubbing at the dried blood and grime around her elbows. The river turned dark around her as the dirt washed away. She dipped her head beneath the surface, soaking her golden hair, then emerged with a gasp, water dripping down her face like tears from heaven.
She stayed like that for almost an hour—mourning herself.
Then—snap.
She froze.
Something broke. A twig? A branch?
Then came a low gasp.
She stilled like a deer. Her heart stopped.
Is it a bounty hunter? A wolf? Heappal?
Her eyes flicked to the treeline.
Someone—or something—was there.
