Ivy POV

I sat across from Mariel, my hands clasped tightly in my lap. The fire in the hearth crackled softly, but the warmth in the room didn’t reach me. I had been running for so long that I hadn’t truly stopped to think about what had brought me here. Mariel had asked me to share my past with her, and I couldn’t ignore it any longer.

I took a deep breath. It was time to tell the truth. The whole truth.

“My family,” I started, my voice low, “was blamed for something they ...