Delphinia had been awake since the early hours of the morning. The faint gray of dawn slipping through the curtains was the only sign time was moving. She sat upright on the edge of the bed, her back stiff, her legs drawn close to her chest as she gazed out the window. The faint glow of the outside world felt like a taunt—freedom so near and yet so impossibly far.
Every noise in the house startled her. The creak of doors, the distant hum of footsteps, even the faint rustle of the wind against the walls—all of it sent her heart racing. She'd been like this for hours now, too alert to rest and too trapped to feel safe.
Her thoughts swirled in relentless circles. Did Evander realize I didn't come home? What would he think? Would he care at all? Or would he shrug it off like it doesn't matter? She bit her lip, her teeth pressing into the tender skin as she imagined his reaction.
Maybe he'd be angry... or maybe he'd be worried.
