Two more days passed in a haze of lies and guilt. Aria went through her routines at the healing house, smiled at her patients, reassured her mother that everything was fine. All while the note stayed hidden in her pocket, its presence a constant weight against her heart.
She didn't go back to the oak. But she didn't destroy the note either.
Every night, she'll take it out and read it again. Every night, Mira's words seemed more reasonable, more tempting. And every night, the walls of protection around her felt more like a prison.
On the third morning, Aria woke to shouting downstairs. Angry voices, her uncles, her mother, and someone else. Someone who wasn't supposed to be there.
Elara.
Aria threw on her robe and crept to the top of the stairs, listening.
"breaking house arrest again!" Marcus was saying, his voice thunderous. "You were given explicit orders..."
