Valka
Air cracks through my windpipe and I sob helplessly as it fills my lungs.
The King tsks, his scowl deepening as he watches me gulp down mouthfuls of air greedily. "I can't leave you alone for five minutes, can I?" He peers over his shoulder at a still screeching Rhea, whose bloodshot eyes haven't left my face. His lips part on a single word.
"Sleep."
Her eyes glaze over instantly, lids dropping shut before her body slumps, boneless, into Leander's arms.
"Don't hurt her," I whisper, voice raw. "Please."
Lucien's perfect, silver brow arches, the circlet on his head askew, as though he'd donned it as an afterthought. "I quite like you this way, Valerian. Pleading, at my feet."
I start to push myself up on shaky hands, but my limbs won't support my weight and I slip, nearly crashing into the shards of broken glass littered across the floors.
Strong arms grab my shoulder, breaking my fall.
