Chapter 35

• Ariel didn’t see the open fist coming; if she had, she would have done everything to avoid it. But it was too late.
• The woman's hand connected to her face with the force of a lightning bolt striking her cheeks without warning, and Ariel’s head jerked back from the impact, her ears ringing from the force.
• A gasp echoed throughout the crowd; their mouths hung open and their eyes wide open as they watched the event unfold. No one had expected it, not even Ariel.