Today was a day of pampering, luxury’s languid tendrils curling like scented smoke through the air. I have nothing to do except for training, which I had already done with Aurora, and am back in my room, silent pooling like still water around my repose.

Amelia was unable to come back yesterday, but she will be here at any moment now, anticipation stitching like restless needlework through my calmness; I miss her, absence carving subtle hollow in my awareness, she was delayed by one or two ...