Chapter 49

• Cesmae’s POV
• Raizel's words settle in the air between us like a gentle breeze, easing the tension that had been building inside me. I don't argue with him about being Damaris. There's no point—whether I feel it or not, I know he's right. I'm Cesmae Winters, and somehow, that's enough for now. A strange calm washes over me, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
• "I feel... free," I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. "Like telling you everything has lifted some massive weight off me."