Fiona's POV
The night air clung to me, cool and biting, but not enough to send me scurrying back. I wandered without thinking, steps leading me far from the chambers I was meant to rest in. My fingers traced the tops of brittle weeds, and before I knew it, I stood outside Miriam’s shed. The crooked little door, patched and faded, stood like it had been waiting.
Herbs. Dried flowers. Smoke and something older. It all seeped from the cracks, curling into the night air like a welcome. I knocked, soft but sure, then pushed the door open.
Miriam didn’t flinch. She sat curled near the hearth, stirring something slow and steady, the faint smell of mint and sage drifting lazily in the room. Her eyes flicked toward me, sharp under the fold of her brow.
“Couldn’t sleep, dear?” The words were ge
