Chapter 36 · Throne of Shadows

"Drop the act, Nora. The light is flickering. You're running out of time," Sera hissed, her voice barely a whisper against the roar of the crowd.

Nora didn't move. She stood at the center of the Great Plaza, the golden radiance of Solis still clinging to her skin like a dying ember. But beneath the glow, the cracks were widening. Small, jagged lines of obsidian black were webbing across her collarbone, leaking a smoke that smelled of ozone and old graves.

"I'm fine, Sera. Just stay in your place," Nora replied, her voice tight. She didn't look at her. She couldn't. If she looked at Sera now, she’d see the triumph in those sharp eyes—the look of a hunter who finally smelled blood on the icon.

"You're shaking," Sera noted, stepping closer. The heat from Nora's fake light radiated off her, but Sera didn't flinch. She leaned in, her shoulder brushing Nora's, her voice dropping to a dangerous, intimate level. "The whole city is watching their golden girl. Want to see what happens when the gold peels off?"

Nora stiffened, her fingers curling into her palms. "Shut up. Not here."

"Why not?" Sera let out a short, sharp laugh.