Gingerly, Aliana swung her legs over the side of the bed and placed her feet onto the soft rug before slipping into her slippers.
Rising to her full height, she walked toward the walk-in closet to grab her robe, only to pause at the sight of her own reflection in the full-length mirror.
She wore a luxurious midnight-blue satin nightgown with slender straps, detailed with delicate pale-blue floral embroidery spanning the neckline and bodice.
Her eyes drifted lower to her flat stomach, and she absentmindedly lifted a hand to caress it.
"A child..." she whispered softly.
Her light grey eyes lost focus as they remained fixed at her stomach until something dawned on her.
Turning abruptly, she rushed toward one of the closet drawers and pulled out a small pink box.
She stared blankly at the box for a few quiet seconds before Cillian's haunting words echoed in her mind…
'A human womb cannot sustain a demon's child.'
