She didn't have a chance to respond to that.
She turned, her hand on the handle of the door, and pushed.
The door swung open, and...
The room was empty.
The fire in the hearth was low, casting long shadows across the room. The bed was made, the blankets smooth and undisturbed.
It was...
It was peaceful.
It was also...
Unsettling.
There was no one there.
No Donncahd, no Fiadh. No one at all.
The silence was so loud it hurt her ears.
She stepped inside, her body moving on its own, her mind still reeling from the day's events. She didn't even notice when Ilarion quietly closed the door behind her, leaving her alone.
She walked over to the bed, her legs feeling like lead. She sat down, the mattress groaning under her weight. Darry, sensing her distress, wiggled out of her arms and curled up at her side, his head on her lap, a warm, comforting weight.
She looked around the room, her eyes scanning every corner, every shadow.
There was no one there.
But...
