{AURORA'S POV}
The fire had burned down to a steady bed of orange coals by the time I crossed the circle and lowered myself beside Morganna. Smoke drifted into the canopy and the smell of singed venison and damp wool hung heavy over the camp. Rhea lay on a bedroll a few paces behind us, her back to the flames, shoulders curled in on themselves like a leaf after frost.
"How is she?" I asked, keeping my voice small so it wouldn't break the quiet that had settled over everyone.
Morganna didn't look away from the fire. "She's not doing well," she said. "She even refused to eat. I… I've never seen her like this."
"I understand," I murmured, and the words surprised me because they came up from somewhere old. "When they stormed my home, it was the middle of the night. My mother told me to take my sister and run as fast as we could. She stayed back to fight so we could have enough time to escape."
