Liona's POV
The morning light was pale and thin, slipping through the cracks in the heavy curtains like it wasn't quite sure it was welcome in the room.
I had been awake for hours, staring up at the dark wooden beams of the ceiling.
It wasn't because I wanted to be awake.
It was because my mind simply would not stop spinning, replaying the look on his face over and over until my chest felt tight and hollow.
Earlier, I had slipped out of my room to check on Azura.
She was still tucked deeply under the thick furs of her bed, her breathing slow and even.
I stood beside her mattress for a long moment, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest, before I finally reached down and shook her shoulder.
"Azura," I whispered, nudging her gently.
"Wake up. Please."
She only groaned, pulling the blankets higher over her face, her voice muffled and thick with exhaustion.
"Want to sleep... just a few more hours, Li... let me sleep."
