Mary Ann’s POV
Elara refused to release me until late afternoon.
By then, the worst of the weakness had passed, but my body still felt as though it belonged to someone else. My arms were heavy, my legs unsteady, and every deep breath left a dull ache beneath my ribs. Elara explained that the pain came from the poison and from the healers forcing my heart to beat again. I tried not to think too deeply about that part. The idea that my heart had stopped still felt unreal, like something that had happened to another woman while I watched from a distance.
“You will rest for at least three days,” Elara said as she adjusted the shawl around my shoulders. “No council meetings, no festival work, and no walking around the pack house without someone beside you.”
“The festival is already ruined,”
