Day 15 of quiet, and I caught myself humming.
It was stupid. Just a sound under my breath while I stirred the pot. But Mara looked up from the bread, brows raised, and I realized I hadn’t made noise like that since before the Hollow.
I stopped humming.
“Don’t,” Mara said, without looking at me. “It’s not a crime.”
I didn’t answer. I just kept stirring. My arm didn’t shake anymore. Not much. The scar was white now, thin as thread. I could lift the spoon without thinking
Draven had been sleeping in the bed for six nights. Not touching me. Just there. His back to me, his breathing steady, his hand curled against his chest like he was holding something he couldn’t name.
We’d fallen into a rhythm that felt dangerous because it felt easy. He’d walk with me to the courtyard. He’d sit w
