#Chapter 55 – Family Reunion

Lila The scent of pine and damp earth hit me the moment I stepped from the carriage. Nightfall Pack always smelled earthy. And like wet stone and forgotten promises thanks to my father. The estate loomed quiet and gray under a sky streaked with morning haze. It looked the same, but didn’t feel the same. Not anymore. I moved quickly through the entry hall, past the servant who didn’t offer to take my coat. My boots echoed against the stone as I made my way toward the infirmary wing. The air there was still, tinged with bitterroot tea and antiseptic. It felt like a place trying too hard to pretend it wasn’t full of dying. I hated that my mother was here. She lay beneath layers of wool, her skin pale against the pillows. My mother’s hair had thinned more than I remembered. Her breathing was shallow but even, and one hand rested lightly over her chest like she was holding herself in. “She's been like for a few days,” said Sasha, the caregiver, standing off to the side. Her eye