#Chapter 99 – Adrift

Lila The robe they’d given me was too soft. Every thread brushed my skin like an apology, and I hated how easily I melted into it. It reminded me of the cell—how the cold had stripped away sensation until the return of warmth hurt. I sat by the window in Damon’s chambers, curled beneath a quilt I hadn’t asked for, watching a hawk circle high above the courtyard. The training fields below were empty. Even the wind sounded cautious, like the palace itself had gone quiet to avoid stepping on broken glass. The bandages had come off my wrists that morning. The skin underneath was still raw and red, but healing. The bruises around my ribs were fading from violet to sickly yellow. But I could move without flinching now—mostly. But that didn’t mean I felt steady. The door creaked softly open behind me, and I didn’t have to look to know who it was. Emma’s footsteps were always careful, like she didn’t want to leave prints. “You’re awake,” she said gently. “I brought chamomile