Chapter 46

Scarlett's POV Night was heavy, tight against the windows. It didn't come gently when sleep finally claimed me. I found myself standing in the council hall. The domed ceilings arched overhead, engulfed in darkness. The air was hot, laden with speech—muffled, garbled, hollow voices, half-uttering things I could not quite understand. Each time I tried to concentrate, the voices melted away, leaving only the uncomfortable sense that they referred to me. What the hell? A nightmare? I tried to wake up when I saw a familiar face appear before me. His gaze was locked on mine. Alexander. He stood apart, but the space between us felt like a fault line. "Alexander? What are you doing?" I tried to speak to him, but I couldn't even hear my own voice. I tried to move, but I realized I couldn't. It felt as if my feet were rooted to the marble floor. Fuck. I want to wake up. This isn't even funny anymore. I wanted to move my body, to pinch myself awake, but I couldn't. I was stuck, rooted in place. S