ISOLDE

No. No.

That wasn’t possible.

It couldn't be… could it?

My pulse hammered in my ears. The chamber felt smaller, the air tighter around me. Their eyes were on me... soft, hesitant, pity mixing with things they weren’t brave enough to say. I ignored them all and tried to move my legs again.

Nothing.

They didn’t move. Not because they were stiff. Not because I was weak. They simply wouldn’t answer me.

It was that moment I understood.

The reason Rowan had carried me every ...