She was hitting her breastplate with a closed fist, as if trying to crack her chest open to pull out her own heart. Stevie’s mom was attempting to stop her. Every time that fist came down, she struggled to keep it from making contact. But Nicole Clark was failing to make an impact with her sister. At that moment, Amanda Brighton was stronger than both Stevie’s mom and The Tyrant combined. What had once been quiet sorrow had now grown into a snarling, clawing beast.
