With an exhale, I opened my mouth, but it slowly closed by what I saw in his eyes—or rather, what he saw in mine. His softness evaporated, and the cool, insensitive D’yavol returned. Without a word, he walked away, leaving me wet, cold, and drowning beneath the heavy weight of rejection. I didn’t know how long I stood there before I caught my reflection in the mirror. Numb, I turned to meet it face-on. It had to be residual tears. Or a trick of the light. Though I knew it wasn’t either of those things when Madame Richie’s laughter returned, resounding in my ears. Her cackles turned into a witchy crescendo of “congratulations” while I stared into my ice-blue eyes holding a glimmer they’d always lacked. I guessed sparks came from passion. Even ones that eventually destroyed you. The mirror shattered with one strike of my hand. It pinged like untuned music notes as I walked out of the room. OceanofPDF.com