Sallie's POV
I lunged at Jill, driven by the same desperate instinct that had consumed me for two years. But she jerked her arm up, sending the clothes soaring through the air.
Time seemed to slow around me. I watched Draven and Zora rush toward Jill as she stumbled backward with calculated carelessness. The scene blurred, and suddenly I could see the Noahs again, clutching those ropes, ready to haul me back to St. Chaim Reform Academy.
Without thinking, I stumbled backward, completely unaware of the clothing racks behind me.
The sharp crash of metal hitting the floor rang out. I lost my footing as the frame collapsed around me, catching my clothes and leaving me tangled and exposed.
Jill had fallen too, but Draven and Zora caught her before she could hit the ground. Her hair remained perfectly styled, though pain twisted her features. "Mom, Draven, my foot," she whispered.
Draven dropped to his knees beside her, gently examining her ankle.
