It had been four days since Lois had walked away from Liana in the corridor.
She sat in the kitchen, her hands wrapped around a cup of cold tea. The morning meal was over. Only Gretta remained at the hearth, stirring a pot of stew with slow, deliberate strokes. She hadn't said anything about Lois. But her silence was louder than words.
The door creaked open. Liana didn't look up. She knew his scent before she heard his footsteps. Leather and pine and the sharp edge of regret.
"Liana."
She didn't turn. "Good day, Beta."
"Liana." He crossed the room slowly, like a man approaching a wounded animal. "I've been trying to find the words. There aren't any good ones."
"You should have said something, anything. It is better than silence."
He stopped behind her. His hands hung at his sides. R
