{Elira}
~**^**~
Rennon stood nearby with his arms folded loosely and quietly watched the nurse finish bandaging my arm.
When she left, he stepped closer and leaned slightly to meet my gaze.
"You did well today," he said softly. "Don't downplay it."
I gave a faint laugh that broke halfway through. "But I didn't win perfectly."
"You didn't need to. You endured till the end."
Something in his tone made my throat tighten again, and I looked down, focusing on the clean white cloth around my wrist instead.
Before I could say anything, the door flew open.
"Elira!"
Four voices collided in a rush. Nari was first to reach me, nearly knocking over a stool in her sprint.
Juniper followed right behind, wide-eyed and breathless. Cambria moved with more care, but her worry was clear, and Tamryn, who was usually so composed, looked ready to throttle whoever had dared to hurt me.
"Moon above, look at you," Nari breathed, dropping to her knees beside the bed. "You are covered in bruises!"
