Lirael's POV

I pulled up outside Zephyra's mom's house and shifted the car into park. The decision to rent a vehicle instead of relying on a driver had felt like a small step toward independence, a gesture of my commitment to staying here for the foreseeable future. The sunset painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, casting warm beams of light through the car window as I sat and contemplated my next moves.

Recalibration was necessary. The impulse to buy things for Zephyra's mom, while ...