[Lavinia's Pov—Imperial Palace—Grand banquet hall—Balcony]
The world tilted.
Air rushed past me in a violent roar, tearing at my hair, clawing at my lungs. My hands flailed, reaching for a railing that was already behind me, slipping further and further away. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought it might burst out of me.
Someone pushed me.
I couldn't see the face, but who would dare commit such treason in the open?
The thought struck like a blade, sharp and merciless. Panic twisted around my chest until it was hard to breathe.
I wasn't going to die. I knew that. The balcony wasn't that high. But my bones… my body… it would shatter, crack, and bruise. I imagined the crunch of bone against stone, the white-hot pain tearing through me.
Rage boiled.
If I survived—if I crawled from the ground with fractured limbs—I would make that person regret ever laying a hand on me.
But right now… oh gods, I was going to snap my legs like twigs.
