Ivy's POV

I had just dropped the plate on the stool again, unsure if I should re-wet my bandage. My attempt to wash the dish left my twisted hand throbbing, though the numbness lingered from what those guards had done to me.

I sat back, my body cold, hair tangled, when I heard those familiar footsteps.

It was him.

Lucien.

Anger burned through me, though I wasn’t sure if I even had the right to feel it. I stepped back with every stride he took, retreating until my back was pressed ...