Chapter 96

~Jasmine~ I groaned, covering my eyes as the sunlight streamed through the blinds in the living room, stabbing into my skull like sharp needles. My head hurt from all the crying, my body stiff from the restless night of tossing and turning. I had barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, memories of last night clawed at my mind—Mav’s voice, his refusal to believe me, his loyalty to the man who destroyed my family. I sat down heavily on the couch, a dull ache settling in my chest. Mav hadn’t called again. Maybe he’d given up. Maybe he was hurting just as much as I was. Maybe… it didn’t matter. I didn’t want it to matter. That’s what I kept telling myself over and over again. I needed something to occupy my mind, something to drown out and numb the ache. My parents’ research. Grabbing my bag, which was still tossed carelessly on the couch from last night, I settled onto the floor. I pulled out every document I had on the Silvercrack Instrument, my fingers trembling as I flipped through