Curiosity. Concern. Anger. Distrust. Confusion. Accusation.
"Miss Murley, other reports have surfaced indicating that you have been allegedly involved in an illegal excavation into the Nether to unearth precious fae relics," Kaitlyn Parks declares.
"It's not illegal," I interject without thinking, hugging myself tightly to try to keep everyone's feelings from piercing my skin so roughly.
"So it's true that you're guiding the excavations into the fae's homeland?" she demands. "Is it also true that due to your attempts to steal fae relics, several fae excavators lost their lives yesterday?”
"N—no, that's not?—"
Oh, gods.
This is Chancellor Marwood's doing, thanks to everything Brahm told him.
I'm about to puke all over the mic as I try again to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. Eavesdroppers are starting to grumble nearby, and some people are pulling out their phones to film it themselves. More horns are honking, and the camera is way too fucking close.
Let us go,my animal whimpers.
When more people start joining this little crowd and their emotions join the sludge of feelings slipping down my throat, I try again to get away. The grip tightens on my arm. I rip it away and end up accidentally yanking my elbow right into the face of the fae man previously holding my arm.
"Ow!" he shouts.
People gasp. The camera zooms dramatically in on the man's nose as it starts trickling blood.
"Sorry," I wheeze through the pressure building in my chest, pushing through the crowd.
I just want to get into my therapist's building, find a corner in her office, and die in it.
I've triedso hardto start over. To be human. I've built a life in a small town and gone where the Frosts and everyone obsessed with them couldn't reach me. I became Elise instead of Heidi.
But now, my real identity is out of the bag. Chancellor Marwood must have hired someone to dig up my past, and with my parents no longer pulling strings to keep my existence a secret from the world, his guy did quick work.
Even the Upheaval didn't feel as world-ending as this.
I stumble when the reporter catches up to me, the cameraman getting in my face again. I'm not surprised that I didn't make it far from them, with all these strangers' feelings choking my airways and slowing me down.
I don't realize Athanis is still hovering beside me until he scowls at the journalists, swearing in ancient fae at them.
"Miss Murley, what do you have to say in defense of your actions?” she presses. “What would you say to the families of the fae who lost their lives at the excavation yesterday, if they were standing in front of you right now? Would you apologize?”
Tears blur my vision, but I shake my head hard. "You don't understand, I didn’t try to?—”
“Now that the Entity is no longer holding the Nether captive, don’t you think that we fae have a right to our homeland? Or do you think that pillaging that realm is admissible?”
For the love of the gods, I don't thinkanything.
I know absolutely nothing about legacy politics. It's not my business. I just wanted to uncover those poor sleepers buried under the citadel.
Now, I just want torun.
"Please leave me alone," I rasp, lifting a hand to block my face from the camera's view.
Someone else in the crowd bumps into me, making me stumble off the sidewalk. Intrigue, anger, and disagreement swirl around me, creating dark spots that freckle my vision.
Athanis curses at them again. "Get back! Away with you all!"
The cameraman isn't backing off as the reporter continues pelting me with questions. People and all their crippling feelings are thronging this sidewalk, the honking is just getting worse, and now my inner animal is frantic.
Run,she begs, tearing at my insides.
