The shadow across the street hadn't left her mind by morning. It clung on like smoke tangled in her curls, clinging to her skin no matter how many times she scrubbed her neck raw in the washbasin. The stone chamber was too quiet. There were no windows, just thick walls that smelled faintly of ash and pine and a soft animal pelt that barely cushioned the cot. Niko snored softly at her feet in his small human form; arms curled tight around a battered plush rabbit with one missing ear. His little chest rose and fell in time with hers. For the first time in years, Lila wasn't waking alone. She should've felt safe.
Instead, her ribs ached with a nervous tightness she couldn't name. Lila sat up slowly, her body still sore from the frostpit. Her arms bore fresh bruises, and her side ached where
