Chloe dried herself off mechanically, each movement stiff and hollow. She dressed in loose clothes, but her skin still felt marked, burning where Ereshia’s hands had touched, where her mouth had lingered. No amount of scrubbing had washed it away.

She slipped into her bedroom and shut the door quietly behind her, though she knew it didn’t matter. Ereshia could appear whenever she wanted. Watching. Listening.

The room felt smaller than usual, suffocating in its silence. Chloe sat on the ...