244
~Belinda's POV
Her figure vanished into the palace, leaving only the sound of our ragged breaths and the echo of her fury.
I sat there, clutching my bleeding side, trembling so badly I could barely move. Adrik was bent over, coughing blood into his hand. Uncle Fridolf stood stiff, his eyes narrowed, but I could see it: shock. Real shock. He had been hurt, too.
I clutched my side, the pain burning deep, and gasped for air. My whole body was trembling, my knees were weak, and my heart was beating too loudly in my ears. I forced myself to whisper, my voice shaking, "What the hell just happened? Why… why was Lisa like that?"
No one answered right away. Adrik was bent over, blood dripping from his mouth, his hand pressed against his chest. Even he, strong and fierce as he was, looked broken, shaken. My uncle Fridolf stood there, his eyes wide with something I had never seen in him before, fear.
