Sera's POV
Morning light poured through the tall windows of our bedroom, painting the polished hardwood floor in warm gold. The quiet comfort of the suite had become my fortress over the past few days—a place where the air was sweet with cedar and ozone, where Gideon’s scent wrapped around me like a shield, protecting me from the rest of the world.
Today, I was leaving it.
Standing in front of the full-length mirror, I smoothed down the oversized tunic borrowed from Olivia. It hung off my shoulders, swallowing my frame, a physical reminder that I was living on borrowed time and borrowed clothes. My hands trembled slightly as I smoothed the fabric over my stomach.
Vera stirred in the back of my mind, her copper head lifting as she caught the flutter of nervousness in my chest. We are s
