Aria's pov

I shouldn’t be here. It felt like I was sold off, just like a worthless object, by that insufferable stepmother of mine. I curled into a tight ball on the cold, hard floor next to an old bookshelf. The chill of the ground seeped into my bones, sending shivers through my body.

Why would he give such an absurd instruction? What could possibly be happening in this dusty library that he thought would be the ideal place to "fix" me? Each breath I took was a struggle, the air around me so frigid it felt like ice in my lungs. I glanced around the dimly lit room, my...