Aria’s shoulder ached with every heartbeat, a throbbing reminder of the border skirmish. Warm lantern light bathed her mother’s chamber in flickers of gold, chasing shadows into the corners. The heavy drapes were drawn, muffling the predawn chill that clung to the fortress.
Layla leaned forward, pressing a wet cloth to a gash along Aria’s arm. “Hold still,” she murmured. Though her tone was gentle, her eyes brimmed with worry, and something harsher: anger or perhaps fear.
Aria gritted her teeth, stifling a hiss. The stinging pain sent sparks dancing behind her eyelids. She couldn’t decide which hurt more: the wound or the tension emanating from her mother. Outside, thunder rumbled, a leftover murmur from the distant storm.
A tense hush blanketed the room. When Layla finally lifted the c
