Chapter 40
Jace
The kitchen settles into comfortable chaos—Mairen cooking, the guys finding their places, Riley and Zira keeping to the edges. Bree’s still at the table, mug in hand.
But I’m watching her.
She’s fading.
Her head keeps dipping forward, then jerking back up like she’s fighting sleep and losing. The mug in her hands trembles slightly, and she’s barely touched whatever Mairen put in it.
I catch Rhett’s eye across the room. He sees it too.
“Come on,” I say quietly, pushing off the counter and moving to her side. “You need to sleep.”
She blinks up at me, confusion flickering across her face. “I’m fine.”
“You’re exhausted.” I hold out my hand. “Let me walk you to your room.”
For a second, I think she’ll argue. But then she just nods, setting the mug down and taking my hand.
Her fingers are ice-cold.
Gray starts to stand, but I shake my head once. He understands. She needs rest, not a crowd.
I help her up, and she sways immediately. My arm goes around her waist, steadying her.
“Easy,” I say.
She leans into me, most of her weight pressing against my side. “Thank you.”
We move through the restored hallway slowly. The sanctuary hums around us—soft and alive again, vines curling along the arches, daisies blooming in cracks that shouldn’t hold life.
It’s beautiful.
I wish I felt it.
“Placelooksalive again,” I say, aiming for lightness and missing by miles.
Bree hums in agreement, eyes half-closed.
Every step closer to her room, my chest gets tighter.
The last time I crossed that threshold, it wasn’t her.
I didn’t know. Couldn’t have known. But I should’ve felt the difference, shouldn’t I? Should’ve sensed that something was wrong, that the woman in that bed wasn’t the one I’d been waiting for.
We reach her door. It’s half-open, gauzy curtains shifting in a breeze that smells like rain and daisies.
I stop.
Can’t move forward. Can’t breathe.
The scent hits me like a fist—same as before. Same as when Riley wore her face and let me—and I can’t even finish the thought.
“Jace?”
Bree’s voice pulls me back. She’s looking at me, concern cutting through the exhaustion.
