Alone. In a borrowed bed. Waiting to vanish like morning mist.
Chapter 50
“Do not fear death.
Death is a friend to life—they walk side by side.
There is an end as surely as there is a beginning—it is the course of time.
Look now to the light and bear no more hardship.
In Anam’s name, may you rest at last.”
- The Rite of Passing (spoken only to death-bound souls)
Istirred at the sound of the handle turning.
At first, I didn’t open my eyes. I thought it was her again—Elspeth. Come to finish what she’d promised.
But the footsteps were too solid, too human. I blinked blearily toward the door and saw Rowan step inside. He wasn’t alone.
A man followed him—blonde-haired, broad-shouldered, with a hard face and dark eyes that scanned the room like a predator.
I tensed instinctively.
“Don’t panic,” Rowan said gently, crossing the room in quiet strides. “This is Sam. He’s a friend.”
Sam’s stern expression gave way to a warm smile as he tipped his head to me.
“Hello, Ms. Ashbone, it’s finally nice to meet the woman who’s got my cousin all stirred up.”
Rowan shot him a look that could’ve withered stone. Sam grinned brighter and held up his hands in mock surrender.
“I know his voice,” I said slowly, staring at Sam. “You’re the one from the hallway. I heard you before. You were talking about me.”
Rowan gave a single nod. “So you overheard. I thought you might have.”
I sat up, wincing. “What are you doing here?”
Rowan met my eyes with a steadiness that rattled me more than if he’d shouted.
“We’re getting you out.”
The words didn’t register at first.
“What?”
“You’re leaving the facility, Mavis. Tonight.”
My heart skipped a beat.
“You can’t just—how? Why now?”
He nodded toward the door. I turned and saw Renata standing watch, Naia at her shoulder. They were heavily armed, still as statues, eyes sweeping the corridor like wolves on the hunt.
“I’ve been planning this for months,” Rowan said. “That’s why I’ve been gone so much. Sam’s been helping me gather supplies and clear a path. Quietly. We couldn’t risk suspicion.”
I shook my head, dizzy with disbelief. “The doors are open… but we’ll die in that cold.”
