Annie bowed respectfully. "Of course."
Morning continued outside the chamber, the sun rising slowly, shadows shifting, but for Liv, time seemed to stop. She lay there, her body helpless, her thoughts fixed on a single truth, If even Jay had to leave her side to stand watch, then whatever was moving out there was not something that could be taken lightly.
The afternoon had long passed when the chamber door finally opened.
Footsteps sounded heavy, measured, carrying a vigilance that had not yet fully loosened its grip. Jay entered without unnecessary noise, his dark cloak still draped over his shoulders, bringing with it the cold from outside and a faint scent of iron the unmistakable mark of someone who had just returned from the lines of watch.
His eyes searched for only one thing.
Liv.
