Lila
I woke to the sound of my heartbeat in my ears, too loud in the quiet room. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was.
The ceiling above me blurred and shimmered, the beams twisting in and out of focus like they were underwater. My throat was dry. My skin too warm.
I blinked slowly, once, twice, and felt the weight of the world settle back on my chest. I didn’t remember falling asleep. Or waking up. Or setting the teacup on the table beside me, where it now sat untouched, a curl of steam long gone.
I’d been moved to a more private corner after the healers deemed me stable. Which was generous. I felt like glass that had been set upright but not glued back together.
There was a tightness in my chest that hadn’t left since the rogue whispered my real name before dying.
Ruby sti
