Chapter 19

Opening my eyes is not pleasant. It feels like a steamroller has run over me—every limb is crying, begging me to jump off a bridge to end this suffering. I've had better days.

Light trickle in through a half-open window, making me groan and turn over in the bed that smells like detergent. I'm drenched in a cold sweat, and my eyelids hurt, probably swollen from the beating I took.

"Good, you're awake."

Startled, I sit up and try to open my eyes, only to end up squinting like a mole at my grandmother.

She is standing at the edge of my bed, wearing her emerald dress and a stern expression. We seem to be in a hospital room, and I remember the school was equipped with its hospital wing.

"Morning," I say and lick my lips. My mouth is drier than sand. "Fancy seeing you here."

My grandmother doesn't move a muscle. Instead, she glares down at my hands, and that's when I discover my new, unusual bracelets. They are embedded with green, glowing b