Petal's POV

The sky broke before dawn.

One moment the world was quiet, heavy with fog and the faint scent of wet earth. The next, thunder cracked across the borderlands, splitting the air in two. I woke to the roar of rain hammering against the roof, relentless and wild like the storm that had been brewing inside me for days.

The wind pushed through the gaps of the healer’s hut, chilling the air. Garcia stirred beside the fire, rubbing her arms. “You’ll catch a fever if you keep ...