Aurora’s POV

The cold night pressed hard against my skin as I stepped off the path from the shack. My thin bag bounced against my side as I limped forward, each step heavier than the last.

My body still ached from the banquet, I could feel my leg throb, and my elbow also burned but I kept moving.

The Silver Moon Packhouse glowed behind me, its windows bright with music and laughter. That laughter was for Helen. It was never for me. I did not look back.

The dirt road stretched before me. I ...