#Chapter 170 – Fragile Life

Lila The sound of footsteps jolted me awake. I sat up too fast, my head swimming, lungs clawing for air in the smoke-filled dreams I had just escaped. For a heartbeat I thought Damon had found me and his shadow would appear in the doorway, cold and furious. Instead, the noise faded into the rustle of underbrush and then a knock at the warped door. I froze, every muscle taut. Ronan had said he’d return soon, but there was no way he would knock. My pulse hammered in my ears. “Lady Lila?” A voice, low and careful. Not Damon’s, or Ronan’s. It was a woman’s voice. The latch clicked, and the door opened just enough to admit a slim figure wrapped in a dark cloak. She moved quickly, shutting it behind her, as if the forest itself might be watching. When she pushed back her hood, I saw the lined face of a woman not much older than my mother. Silver-streaked her hair, but her eyes were clear and kind. Like a healer. “I am Alara,” she said quietly, her gaze sweeping the cr