Chapter 50

• Aria sat on the edge of her chair, brushing her fingers absently over the needlework on the armrest. The silence in the chamber was heavy, disturbed only by the crackle of fire in the hearth. Heaven and Hana sat nearby, folding linens and whispering between themselves.
• Her mind wandered back to the strange whisper in the courtyard, the voice that had chilled her bones. She hadn't been able to shake the sense of being watched. And now, even within the safety of her chamber, unease lingered like a shadow that refused to disappear.
• A sudden knock startled them.