Page 67 of Dark Destiny: The Turning Of The Loom

There was no beeping, no machine counting her heartbeats, and the silence was wonderful.

Gertrude had taken out the tube and removed the wires last night, and Sullha had slept comfortably in her own nightgown instead of the hospital gown that hadn't closed right and had kept riding up.

She'd even managed to get Yaaf to go home, get cleaned up, and catch a few hours of sleep.

The door opened, and Gertrude came in. "Good morning. Sleep well?"

"Very well, thank you. It was blissfully quiet in here without those machines beeping in the background and the thing that kept filling with air around my arm and then hissing when it emptied. I don't know how you can tolerate all those loud sounds all day."

"At first, when you are a newly transitioned immortal, everything sounds too loud. You'll get used to the new hearing in a day or two." Gertrude walked over to the window. "It's a nice morning, and I thought I'd let some fresh air in, but that will also mean sounds. It's your call if you want air or quiet."

"Air," Sullha said without hesitation.

"Air it is." Gertrude slid the window open, and the world came rushing in.

Children. Shrieking and laughing, the rhythmic clank of a swing chain, a ball bouncing on hard ground, people chatting in the nearby café.

She should not have been able to hear all that.

"I can hear the children playing in the playground," she said.

Gertrude smiled. "You'll learn to tune it out, the way you tune out your own heartbeat."

"I hope so." Sullha let out a breath. "I'll go insane otherwise."

"Don't worry. It hasn't happened yet." Gertrude walked toward the door. "Do you need help getting to the bathroom?"

"No. I'm good." She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood. "This whole thing is much easier than I expected. I thought it would be so much worse."

"You're lucky. Most don't have it as easy. Being nineteen helps."

"And yet it has taken me over two weeks to start transitioning."

"Every Dormant is different." Gertrude headed toward the door. "I'll come back with your breakfast when you're done."

"Thank you. I'm starving."

The nurse snorted. "That's another excellent sign."

When Sullha returned to the room, Yaaf was there with her breakfast. He was freshly showered and shaved and looked good enough to eat.

"Good morning, beautiful." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "How are you doing today?"

"Starving." She pushed out of his embrace and hopped onto the bed. "I think you'll need to get something from the café because this poor excuse for breakfast is not going to do."

"Toast and eggs," he said. "Julian said something light."

"I'm hungry. I could eat a dozen croissants." She picked up the toast, smeared it with jam, and took her first bite.

It was heavenly.

The taste exploded across her tongue, and she wondered whether her sense of taste had also been enhanced by her transition, or if she was simply very hungry.

He sat on the edge of the bed. "Gertrude says you can shower before your guests arrive. Do you want me to help you?"

"I can shower by myself."

"I know you can, but do you want my help?"