Deadly Devotion

[ POV: KAELIA BRYNN HALLOWAY ]

I smoothed the folds of Liora’s elaborate formal gown, my fingers trembling slightly against the heavy, shimmering fabric. The velvet ribbons and layers of delicate silk were undeniably beautiful, but they felt like a gilded cage wrapping around my twelve-year-old sister. I attempted to brush away the suffocating dread settling in my chest, forcing my hands to remai