Ayla's POV
The door closed softly behind me, but I didn't move.
I stood with my back pressed against the wood, heart pounding in my ears, each beat echoing in the small, quiet room louder than it should have been.
I listened, straining for any sign they'd walked away. There it was: the scrape of a boot on the floorboards, the low hush of voices just beyond the door.
My palms itched with the urge to bolt, but I stayed frozen, afraid even my breathing would give me away.
"They're still out there," Tala muttered. "I bet you a week's worth of sleep that they're pacing."
"I know," I said, but I still didn't move. If I did, they'd hear it and know I was waiting, hoping they'd disappear.
A knock erupted in the silence, and I froze completely.
My hand was halfway to the knob before I caugh
