The glen was a well-kept secret, hidden behind a tangled barrier of vines and moss-draped stones—an oasis of stillness in an otherwise tumultuous realm. Layla pressed through the swaying branches, heart pounding as she spotted her child’s solitary figure by the water’s edge.
Aria stood with her back turned, arms folded tight across her chest. Thin moonlight filtered through the canopy overhead, catching strands of her dark hair and painting them in ghostly hues. She didn’t stir when Layla approached, and the silence clutched at Layla’s heart. Somehow, the hush felt heavier than any spoken confrontation.
“Aria,” Layla breathed, voice catching. “You’ve cut all contact. I had to bribe half a dozen rogues just to discover you might be here. Why are you hiding?”
A bitter laugh escaped Aria’s
