LUCIENOn the day of the trial, Hera wasn’t picking up her call.I wasn’t surprised, but I stared at my phone, as if her name would light up the screen if I stared at it long enough, and she would offer me a solution.It didn’t happen, so I called again anyway, but it went straight to voicemail.Of course.I shoved the phone into my pocket and paced my room, footsteps heavy against the floorboards. The walls felt smaller than usual, like they were closing in on me, taunting me. Outside, the sun was already high. Too high.They weren’t bluffing. They really picked the perfect day for this trial because even with my daylight ring on, I could feel the heat radiating through me.I stopped near the window and looked at the strip of sunlight cutting through the room. It looked harmless. Warm. Ordinary.Then I looked at my daylight ring, staring at it before I finally took it off.For a second, I just held it in my palm, jaw clenched. I didn’t need to do this. I already knew the answer. I h
Read more