"Please be Lucien... please be Lucien..." Anana whispered under her breath to herself, almost like a prayer, as she limped towards the door. Her heart beat faster with every step, thudding wildly in her chest.
Her hand hovered over the knob, torn between hope and dread. The ache in her ankle pulsed beneath her but she barely felt it.
Another knock.
She closed her eyes for half a second, inhaling deeply then she pulled the door open.
It wasn’t Lucien.
The sight of the old healer standing in the hallway felt like ice water poured down her spine.
For a moment, she didn't move. Her breath hitched in her throat and the spark of hope in her chest flickered out so quickly that it felt like a heartbreak.
Disappointment crashed down on her like a wave, sharp and sudden. She hadn't even reali
