Chapter 44

Violet POV

I didn’t see it, but I felt the attention on me, sharp and sudden, like a weight settling over my skin.

“Violet,” Elijah said quietly, his voice still low but now fully awake, the softness edged with concern that he tried, and failed, to restrain.

I did not answer. I couldn’t.

I could barely breathe.

The plane gave a small, uneven tremor as it continued its ascent. My body jerked in response, a reflexive flinch, and before I could process the movement, momentum pulled me sideways and forward.

The seatbelt tugged against my hips, but my balance slipped.

My hands shot out for support, and I felt certain I was going to smack my face against the cold floor of the airplane.

But Elija