Estella’s POV
Bree’s withdrawal period wasn’t easy, but little by little, she began to improve. The shakes lessened, her breathing steadied, and the wild panic in her eyes dimmed until it was only exhaustion haunting her waking hours. I held her through the worst of it, whispering encouragement and rubbing her back while she threw up. She was strong, stubborn as hell and just as formidable, and I told her that every time she thought she couldn’t take it anymore or begged me to give her just a sip of the potion.
When her strength finally returned, I wasted no time in starting our lessons. Bree was eager, but that proved not nearly enough, as I thought. Where my shifts came like lightning once I found my rhythm, hers were more like a soft breeze, leaving her too tired to move after just a
