(Isla)
Sera came just before midday, the same way she usually did when she wanted to check my ankle. I heard her knock and closed the book in my lap even though I had not read a full page in several minutes. The morning had passed quietly, and I had stayed near the window, watching the eastern forest while trying not to think too directly about the warmth from the night before. It had not returned, but the memory of it stayed under my skin like something waiting. When she knocked, I felt a small shift inside me, not fear, just awareness. I told myself it was routine and nothing more.
"Come in," I said.
She entered with her case in her hand and closed the door behind her without noise. Her expression was calm and focused, the same one she always wore when she worked. She moved toward the
