words against her skin.
It took every ounce of her will to show no reaction when she saw the black book slide silently out of the fidgeting candidate’s oversized cloak and gently onto the floor; her bony fingers dug fiercely into her arms hidden deep inside the long sleeves of her shapeless outer robe, sharp reminder to keep herself in control even as her spirit screamed in shock. Her face maintained the habitual blank mask that all women had learned to cultivate in public as she deliberately steadied her breathing, sinking deep into her carefully created facade, perfected since infancy.
