The air inside the small sleeping quarters was thick and stifling, vibrating with the aftershocks of the violence that had just unfolded in the yard. Fuyu sat on the edge of the pallet, his arms wrapped around Lara. She was trembling, her breath coming in ragged, hitching sobs that dampened the fabric of his tunic. He stroked her hair with a rhythmic, mechanical motion, his mind busy calculating the structural damage to their family's delicate hierarchy.
The door creaked open, admitting a sliver of light and the sharp, mocking silhouette of Katty. She leaned against the doorframe, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of voyeuristic delight and calculated mischief.
"Oh, so romantic. Isn't it?" Katty's voice was like silk sliding over a blade. She walked toward them, her gaze lingering on the red welt on Lara's cheek.
