Seven days after Margaret's funeral, life at the Blackwood estate had settled into a careful routine of grief and preparation.
Eve moved through her days like someone who was functioning rather than thriving. Morning training with Raphael....less intense than before, her uncle giving her space to grieve while still maintaining momentum. Afternoons spent reviewing Court protocols, studying faction intelligence, preparing for what was coming. Evenings with her mates, who surrounded her with quiet support and didn't demand more than she could give.
She was managing. That was the best that could be said.
Maya had extended her stay indefinitely.....her apartment back in the city temporarily sublet, her life rearranged to be present for Eve through this difficult time. She and Elena had become inseparable, the two of them creating a pocket of normalcy that Eve found herself gravitating toward when Court politics felt overwhelming.
