LyraThe palace disappeared behind us slowly, until the tall walls became nothing more than a faint line between the trees. I kept looking through the carriage window even after I could no longer see the gates, because some part of me still expected someone to come running after us. No one did. Damien sat across from me, calm and relaxed, while the horses carried us farther away from the only home I had known since coming into this strange world. For the first time in weeks, I felt like I could breathe without someone watching me, judging me, or waiting for me to make the wrong choice.Damien noticed me staring outside and gave me a small smile. He reached across the space between us and placed his hand over mine, his touch warm and steady.“You can relax now, Lyra. You are safe.”I looked down at our hands and then back at him. I wanted to believe him so badly that my heart almost hurt from it. I had spent so long feeling unwanted, first because I was human, then because of my mark,
Last Updated : 2026-10-04 Read more