Aria’s POV
That morning, Mara came into my room and dropped a folded note on the desk. I had been up all night waiting for her, sitting on the edge of the bed with my knees pulled to my chest, eyes fixed on the door like it would open on its own. When it finally did, I couldn’t even move.
She didn’t say a word. Her hand trembled slightly as she pushed the note toward me. Then she looked at me once, her face pale and unreadable, and whispered, “Get ready.”
I stared at her, not believing she actually said it.
“You have five minutes,” she added, and before I could speak, she walked out and shut the door behind her.
My body moved before my thoughts caught up. I grabbed the small bag I’d kept hidden under the bed and stuffed in what I could a shirt and some toiletries that was all, nothing
