I woke up to silence. Not the kind of silence that hangs heavy before a fight, or the kind that follows loss. This silence was different, like the world had shifted on its axis and was holding its breath, trying to figure out what comes next.
The pale morning light seeped through the window, cold and soft. My body ached in ways I never thought possible. Every muscle screamed, and the space where my belly used to be felt raw, empty. After carrying that little weight for months, the absence hit harder than any pain.
Lucian.
I tried to sit up too fast, and my vision blurred. "Where?"
"Easy," Lyra appeared beside me, steadying me with a gentle but firm hand. "He's fine. Ronan has him."
The panic didn't ease. "I need to see him."
"You will, but after you eat something." She pressed a bowl of steaming broth into my hands. "You lost a lot of blood. If you stand now, you'll just fall over again."
