A Quiet Return: Soren
The moment her head settled against my shoulder, my entire body went rigid. It was a soldier’s instinct—the sudden weight, the unexpected proximity—but it was quickly overridden by a much more dangerous reaction. The lavender hum of her magic, usually a distant song at the back of my mind, was suddenly a roar. It felt like summer rain grounding me to the stone bench in a way no oath ever could. I forced myself to breathe, the scent of cedar soap and something uniquely Penny filling my lungs. Duty, the voice of the General whispered in the back of my head. She is the Anchor. She is the mother of your Queen. She is a ward of the Crown. But the man—the one who had spent two centuries as a statue of cold regret—wanted to turn his head just a fraction. I wanted to press my lips against the c
- Writer
