The General turned, facing the crowd of hundreds, an obnoxiously charming smile sprawled across his face. His gaze sauntered across the space until his eyes met mine, and he paused. The air seemed to go silent around me. There was something intense and unwavering in his expression, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. It felt like he could see right through me. I was going to burn up under the scrutiny—I needed to look away. But I was frozen solid; I couldn’t even blink.
