Lore

by Alexandra Bracken

An oath was, after all, a curse you placed on yourself—she would be damned if she failed, and damned if she succeeded.

“You must learn not to fear pain, or else it will shackle you and strip your courage. Fear is the greatest enemy.”

Not for the first time, Lore realized she’d been kind of an asshole as a child.

“It’s not always the truth that survives, but the stories we wish to believe.

There’s nothing but shadows for you here now.

The poison of truth moved through her, turning her insides to ash.