The minutes crawled by in silence until a new presence stepped into the room. Beta Luca.
He didn’t speak right away. His eyes scanned us, reading the room like the seasoned warrior he was.
Then he crossed to Aiden, his expression tight.
"We need to talk," he said.
"Outside."
Aiden looked up, his eyes bloodshot. He stood slowly, nodded, and then looked to me.
"Wait for me?"
I nodded.
They both stepped outside. I remained seated, heart-pounding as I tried to gather the threads of this never-ending storm.
Every time we found a moment of peace, another wave of chaos swept us away.
I stood and walked toward the back room, where Mara rested.
The healer saw me and gave me a small nod of permission.
She lay on the bed, pale and still. Her face was turned to the wall, away from me. I
