The car hums beneath me like a living thing, its low, steady vibration sinking into my bones. I lean back against the soft leather seat as the city lights blur past the tinted windows in smeared ribbons of gold and white.
My eyes are closed, but sleep won't come. It never does anymore.
Not since he left.
The meeting was a slow poison. Hours of voices layering over voices, minds pressing against mine like hands on glass, each thought sharp and ugly and useless. Without my glasses, I would have lost my mind entirely.
I don't know when Everic is coming back from his vacation. Handling these endless meetings alone is exhausting.
My fingers find my temple. Press. Rub slow, tired circles into the skin, trying to ease the pressure building behind my eyes.
I'm exhausted.
And in his absence, even sleep refuses to stay with me.
