Ripening Magic and Twisted Hues

KIERA'S POV

The heavy bass of the party music rattled the floorboards beneath my feet. I stood frozen in the chaotic hallway. Dozens of intoxicated bodies pressed past us, trying to get a look at the disaster inside the bathroom. My chest heaved with shallow breaths. Sweat glued my hair to my forehead. I locked eyes with my mother. I braced my jaw, expecting a stinging slap across my cheek or a p