She sighed against my chest, voice barely audible. “Then don’t let her, Daddy. Don’t let her.”
Her arms circled my neck; I held her until her breathing evened, until her lashes brushed her cheeks. Even then, I didn’t move. I just listened — to her small breaths, to my own heart struggling to keep its rhythm.
The nurse slipped in quietly. I signaled for silence, laid Myra back on her pillows, and followed Rowan into the corridor.
“She’s asleep?” he asked.
“Yes.” My voice stayed low. “But she’s frightened I’ll replace her doctor.”
Rowan frowned. “And will you?”
“No.” The word came sharper than I intended. “But the council will press for it. Delilah’s parents smell blood. They’ll use anything — even Myra’s recovery — to chain me.”
Rowan waited. He knew better than to interrupt when my
