#Chapter 47 – Something Real

Lila I slipped past the last row of hedges and walked until the sounds of the palace faded behind me, trading marble and mirrors for grass and dusk. The outer gardens were quieter this time of evening, even my breath sounded too loud in my ears. The scent trial had left my insides feeling raw and exposed. It felt like I’d peeled off a layer of my own skin and handed it over in a vial. Now I didn’t know quite what to do with myself. I perched on the edge of the low fountain wall, fingers trailing in the water. It was cold. Soothing, almost. The bowl I’d used was still tucked under my arm, and I set it beside me, letting the wind do what it wanted with the final traces of my truth. “Are you hiding again?” came a low voice behind me. I flinched, even before I turned. Damon stood a few feet away, his posture loose but the tension in him unmistakable. That same unreadable expression he always wore, only this time… it burned around the edges. “I’m not hiding,” I said, voic