Ellie POV
The Royal Hospital was unusually busy for a weekday morning.
The halls hummed with the rhythm of shuffling feet and quiet voices, the soft beep of monitors, and the faint scent of antiseptic. I moved through it all with practiced ease, clipboard in hand, my hair, which was growing out again, was pulled back neatly.
I walked into the long-term care wing, where the morning sun streamed through the high windows.
“Good morning, Mrs. Wren,” I said gently as I stepped into one of the rooms.
The old woman looked up from her knitting, her bright eyes sharp despite her years. “You’re late, dear.”
I smiled. “Two minutes. I checked the clock.”
Mrs. Wren gave me a mock glare. “A messenger of the goddess shouldn’t quibble over minutes.”
I froze, my smile faltering. “Messenger?”
“Th
