Aria’s Pov

It is morning again, and I had tossed and turned the night before, my stomach twisting and growling so loudly I thought it might wake the people in the room next to mine. I had coins from playing in the square, yes, but coins didn’t stretch as far as I wanted them to. The bread I bought in the morning was already gone, and what was left in my pocket would barely buy me another night here. Fear pressed on my chest, heavier than the blankets.

I had thought maybe things were ...