Violet

“You’re mine.”

“Ahh!”

My eyes snapped open as I jolted upright. My chest rose and fell too fast, sweat beading across my forehead. My heart hammered so hard I thought it might break through my ribs.

For a second, I didn’t know where I was. I braced myself for shattered glass, the stench of burning metal, and my mother’s cold hand, but none of it came. Instead, I was in a room.

My hands shook as I dragged them down my face, trying to steady myself. I let out a shaky sigh of relief, but the bitter taste in my mouth refused to fade.

The same dream again.

I’d...