>>Aelin
The dim light of my room felt colder than before.
I sat curled on the edge of the bed, knees pulled tightly to my chest, trying to steady the storm inside me. Across the room, the black-fox spirit maid perched quietly on the small couch near the corner.
I stared at the shadows on the wall for what felt like hours before I broke the silence, my voice cracking, fragile. "Who saved me?" I couldn't recall who it was, no matter how much I thought about it. I do remember someone pulling me out of the water, some muffled voices, but nothing else.
The maid's ears twitched, and she lifted her head, her black eyes catching the faint light. She didn't answer right away, as though carefully weighing her words. "Princess Alishay did, my lady," she said,
