Darius's POV
The silence of the night was dense, the shadows in the healer’s chamber stretching long across the walls. Sera’s breathing was steady at first, then hitched; she shifted in half-sleep. The blanket wrinkled, her hand reached out as if searching for something.
I leaned closer—just enough to hear her murmur.
“Darius…” Her voice was hoarse, dream-soft. “Come here. Lie with me.”
For a heartbeat I froze. The strap around her shoulder, the red rope mark on her neck, the cut on her thigh—every wound flashed through my mind like warning signs. I should have stayed in the chair. But her fingers brushed mine, her thumb tracing a slow line—asking, not demanding.
“If I lie beside you… it won’t hurt?” I whispered. “I won’t strain your shoulder?”
“No,” she breathed. “Just… be here. Lit
