Scarlett / Raven’s POV
I sat on the low stool in the center of the room, surrounded by healers who tried not to stare and failed. I felt like the unwilling centerpiece of some cruel display.
No one spoke to me, but I felt their eyes drifting back to me again and again. Some looked curious. Others looked almost sympathetic. Most simply kept their distance. I lowered my gaze to the floor, my shoulders curling inward as I tried to make myself as small and unnoticeable as possible.
Hunger twisted through my stomach, the ache sharp enough to make me wince. It had been building all night, impossible to ignore now. Part of me wanted the floor to swallow me whole. Another part, worn down by exhaustion, reminded me that this was still food.
I had been looking for something to eat, and now it wa
