I didn't make the room perfect, but I made it mine again.
That was different and more important.
"You're going out," Tala said, approval and relief threading together in her voice. "Good. I was starting to worry we'd take root in here."
I didn't answer. I kept moving.
Half an hour later I slipped down the stairs.
The packhouse was still quiet, most people asleep, the hallways carrying the hush of early morning. Soft footsteps somewhere distant, the faint clink of dishes from the kitchen, muted voices that didn't require anything from me.
I moved quickly through the spaces no one else used this early, head down, pace steady.
"Ayla."
I froze and turned slowly.
All three of them stood and watched me—Ryker, Kael, and Soren, shoulders squared, eyes sharp, arranged across the hallway li
