light as it descended-a brie

yn m

of gravity dropping without apparent effort. The opener sliced through empty air

nd never released

cise moment of maximum extension. Her fingers closed, five points of pressure that fou

scre

n't be medicated or massaged away. Her fingers spasmed open. The letter opener hit the marb

yn p

r knee rose to meet the incoming mass of Chloe's torso. The connection was sol

e fo

h opening and closing in silence-no air remaining to scream with. Her face

rist. The limb fell,

e of a single breath. Giselle's struggles had ceased, her body gone limp in Evelyn's gr

's arm

iselle's body arced, struck the glass coffee table, and the surface surrendered. Shards erupte

her forearm, her

g in shallow gasps, her

e carpet with a sound like chewing ice. She squatted, her coat pooling around her, and seized Giselle's hair

pu

blood and shock. Evelyn's other hand rose, open palm, an

was wet, d

the glass with the boneless grace of the truly defeated. Her cheek was already sw

found Giselle's ear, her breat

e whispered, "

st

, pain following close behind. Her hand found a shard of glass, long as a d

ro

she rose anyway, the glass clutched in her fist, her eyes f

yn s

boredom, exhaustion, the impatience of

e lu

metry of violence. The heel of her shoe-Italian leather, steel-reinforced, engineered for exactly this kind of transf

ds. Crac

eft the

the wall with an impact that shook the framed photographs there. She slid, leaving a sme

n't mov

of her mouth, bright and ob

at. The room was silent now, truly silent,