The rain hadn’t stopped since Elira walked out of Soren’s house.
Not that she noticed.
Her skin was soaked, her heels were mud-covered, but her eyes—her eyes burned with something hotter than any storm.
She walked without direction. Just away. From the lies. From the pain. From the truth that the man she trusted most had tampered with her son’s life.
She found herself at the edge of the city, in front of an old townhouse she hadn’t seen in years.
Her mother’s.
The door opened before she could knock.
“Elira?” Her mother’s voice was a mix of surprise and concern. “What are you—?”
“I need to stay,” Elira whispered. “Just tonight.”
Her mother looked her over—wet, trembling, broken—and didn’t ask questions. Just nodded and stepped aside.
Inside, everything was the same. The scent of h
