SERAPHINA'S POV
I stepped out of the shower, my body felt hollow from the inside, like something had scraped every ounce of strength out of me and left behind only exhaustion and noise.
Water still dripped slowly from my hair onto my shoulders as I dragged myself toward the bed and collapsed against the sheets, staring blankly into the ceiling while my father's words replayed over and over inside my head like a curse refusing to die.
You gave the final blow.
"No," I whispered instantly.
The memories came in flashes after that. Blood. Darius. The garden. Ivy's face. My father's voice. My own hands.
"Enough!" I suddenly yelled, pressing both palms against my head so tightly my nails dug into my scalp.
"Ivy killed you and that is final!"
I forced myself to stand and changed into fresh clothes, hoping movement would quiet the storm inside me somehow.
It didn't. Nothing did. The moment I stepped into the hallway, my eyes immediately searched for only one thing.
Ivy.
