Rebecca

“Rebecca,” Maximus said, his voice low, “you should sleep.”

“I’m not tired,” I lied.

His eyes flicked to mine, like he knew it was crap but wasn’t going to call me on it.

He was quiet. Still. Not tense like someone expecting an attack, but alert in the way only someone who’d lived through enough fights could be.

Raven stirred softly in my chest.

He smells like home, she said.

I didn’t answer her. Not out loud. Not even in ...