Maria's house was quiet when she finally returned from the woods. Her boots were still dusty with forest soil , her jacket smelling faintly of damp leaves and night air. Every muscle in her body ached, but her mind refused to rest.
She pushed the door open and stopped short. The lamp in the sitting room waa lit. Maria frowned. She was certain she'd turned it off before leaving. Her hand slid instinctively to the small knife she kept tucked into her bag, heart thudding as she stepped inside.
“Hello?” She called, voice cautious. From the armchair near the window, someone chuckled.
“Still sneaking around your own house like a criminal, I see.”
Maria froze then exhaled sharply.
“Papa?”
Thane Sage rose slowly to his feet, arms already open, his familiar broad smile cutting through her
