Book 14: Put on a Show

Maeve

Moonrise roars as I wait in the shadowed foyer of the temple. Just feet away, a heavy set of doors will soon open to the sanctuary of the sacred place where hundreds of people are gathered to bear witness to my ascension to the throne, while a few steps in the other direction, behind yet another set of doors, the city is buzzing with nervous excitement.

I’m alone for the first time since I opened my eyes this morning. My reflection in a mirror on the far wall of the foyer isn’t… me. The tall, lean young woman in an immaculate crimson gown stares blankly back at me, her eyelids dusted with gold and her wide, full lips painted a deep, dark red.

Her eyes are hard and hollow–dead–but still that familiar sea-green.

I reach up to run my fingers over the simple updo a trio of maids spent over an hour creating. My hair is pulled tight against my scalp and twisted into a neat bun on the top of my head, not a hair out of place. A band of brillian