The steam in the private bathroom was thick and hot, smelling of the eucalyptus oils Aunt Mira had left on the counter. Rose leaned her head against the tiled wall of the shower, letting the scorching water beat down on her aching back.
Now that she was alone behind locked doors, she finally let her guard down. The restriction on her hybrid core relaxed, and a faint, silver-white glow pulsed beneath her skin. Instantly, the deep purple bruises on her ribs began to fade, the torn flesh on her blistered palms knitting back together in seconds. It was a massive relief, but it felt like cheating.
If I heal completely every day, Vane will notice,she thought, a knot of anxiety tightening in her stomach.
She forced herself to step out of the water, drying off and slipping into a loose gray swe
