Desiree was tired…. Utterly drained, down to her bones.

Not the kind of tiredness that sleep alone could fix, but the bone-deep exhaustion that settled into her chest and refused to leave. The kind that came from weeks of fear, grief, restraint, and standing tall when all she wanted to do was fall apart.

The council had granted her two days.

Two days to rest and recuperate before the final trial, the last chance to prove she was worthy to remain. If she failed, she and her son would be ...