The nightmare didn’t come back the next night.
Aria still woke up once or twice, heart ticking a little too fast, but the hall in her head stayed dark and empty. No banners. No outstretched hands. Just the creak of Nightfall’s bones and the soft snore of someone down the corridor who really needed their nose looked at.
Her wolf called that a win.
So did she.
By midday, the old fear had receded enough that when she saw Rowan in the yard, talking with Jarek over a new delivery of salt and grain, she didn’t immediately think about doors and outstretched hands.
She thought about Lena’s question.
When you think about him, what scares you more: that he’ll leave, or that you’ll actually get what you want?
The answers still weren’t simple.
But “leave” wasn’t the only one in the room anymor
