The sound of gentle murmurs drifted through the cave, interspersed with the occasional crackle of the fire. Lila shifted, the weight of a soft blanket a welcome change from the rough terrain she had grown used to. Her eyes fluttered open, meeting the warm glow of the flames. It was quiet—peaceful, almost—and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, her body didn’t scream with pain.
She turned her head slightly and found Dominic sitting by the fire. His posture was more relaxed than she had ever seen it, his broad shoulders no longer tense and coiled like a spring. He was sharpening a blade, the rhythmic scrape of metal against stone oddly soothing. For a moment, he looked like a man free of the burdens that had haunted him since they met. It was a strange sight.
“You’re awake,”
