*Ella*
The next morning, I take the dogs down for a walk, this time accompanied by Rosalie. It’s only just after dawn, but I’m used to waking up early and can’t seem to sleep in, even when Gus whines and tries to hide under the covers. The moment my eyes opened, I remembered the evening before… and that’s that.
“Come on,” I tell them. “You three are going out without a leash. We’ll visit the lion in daylight; if you don’t behave, you’ll be down his gullet, so keep that in mind.”
The courtyard echoes emptily as Rosalie and I walk across the flagstones. Last night it had been a warm, velvet enclosure. This morning it looks hundreds of years old, chilly, and capable of existing far past our lifetimes. I shiver and walk a little faster.
The lion is awake. He yawns at the sight of us and pa
