#Chapter 82 – Left Unsaid

Lila I woke to the sound of my heartbeat in my ears, too loud in the quiet room. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. The ceiling above me blurred and shimmered, the beams twisting in and out of focus like they were underwater. My throat was dry. My skin too warm. I blinked slowly, once, twice, and felt the weight of the world settle back on my chest. I didn’t remember falling asleep. Or waking up. Or setting the teacup on the table beside me, where it now sat untouched, a curl of steam long gone. I’d been moved to a more private corner after the healers deemed me stable. Which was generous. I felt like glass that had been set upright but not glued back together. There was a tightness in my chest that hadn’t left since the rogue whispered my real name before dying. Ruby stirred, faint and alert. Someone is coming. I tensed on instinct, hand moving an inch toward the dull-bladed knife tucked under my pillow. I wasn’t supposed to have it, but no one had tried ver