Chapter 23

• Three things happened all at once.
• Every window around us shattered, sending shards of glass flying toward Ember, Magnus, and me. Masked figures leaped through the broken panes, adding to the chaos. Instinctively, I threw myself in front of Ember, shielding her from the sharp fragments that hurtled in our direction.
• Magnus was faster. He placed himself in front of both of us, absorbing most of the glass with his own body. The ballroom erupted into a frenzy. Panicked screams echoed from every corner as people scattered, some sprinting for safety, others collapsing to the ground in terror.