Chapter 13

Leona's POV “Aunt Alice? What are you doing here? How did you find me?” She looked up at me, her expression unreadable in the dim light—calm, even somewhat listless, as if rescuing me from a murder attempt was a trivial matter. “I told you,” she brushed dust from her coat sleeve, “I would pick you up after the party.” “That’s not what I meant.” My voice choked. “Those people—they tried to kill me. You—why are you here? Why did you save me?” A familiar, faint, ironic smile played on her lips. “Because, baby…it was my responsibility to protect you until your eighteenth birthday.” I took a step closer, trembling, and gripped her sleeve tightly. “Do you know what happened to me? Do you know why I became like this? Why did I—” My throat tightened. “Why did I become… different from everyone else? I’m like a monster?” Aunt Elise’s eyes flickered, filled with so many emotions, but I only caught a faint trace of pity before it vanished before I could grasp the rest. “We each have our own destin