Chapter 156 I Always Mean It

• The door shut with a gentle click behind Soraheneth, and the silence she left in her wake unfurled like a held breath finally released. It was the kind of stillness that made everything inside me louder, every heartbeat, ache, and doubt I’d tried to bury.
• I stood frozen in the center of the room, still cradling the lingering warmth of her embrace. Her scent clung faintly to my skin, wildflowers and rain. Her words lingered, too, curling around my ribs like a shawl I hadn’t earned. They felt too soft, and good, like kindness I hadn’t dared to ask for. My fingers were cold and trembling slightly, though I hadn’t realized it until that moment. And though Sargis stood only a breath behind me, I couldn’t stop the tremor fluttering in my chest.
• The weight of it all pressed down on me, and my knees felt like they might buckle.