Atlas woke to the soft weight of two bodies against him.
Clara lay on his left, dark hair spilled across the pillow, one hand resting lightly on his chest. Eli was on his right, already half-awake, her breathing steady and even. The room was still dim; the first gray light had only just begun to push through the shutters. For a long moment none of them moved.
Atlas turned his head slightly. "Where's Lara?"
Eli's voice was quiet, rough with sleep. "Training yards, most likely. She left before the second watch ended. Again."
Clara stirred but did not open her eyes. "She's been doing that more often."
Eli was silent for a breath longer. "She's taking it hard. The fact that she can't seem to carry a child of yours. She doesn't say it, but it's there. Every time Chain is in the room, or when the midwives come and go from Clara's wing."
