Chapter 91
- (Clara’s body remains on the altar between them—the past literally in the center.)
- The clearing did not move.
- Not the fog, not the trees, not the bodies of the hostages still bound at the roots of the stone pillars. Even the wind seemed unsure whether it should exist. The only sound was Ariana’s breathing—slow, steady, and controlled—not because she was calm, but because control was the only thing keeping her upright.