The house had fallen quiet again by the time Riven returned from seeing his grandmother off.

The lights were dimmed to a soft glow, the kind that blurred the edges of the hallways and made every sound and footstep feel amplified.

He found Isabelle in Aimee’s room.

The little girl was already asleep, curled beneath her blanket, her soft breathing filling the quietness. Isabelle sat beside the bed, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind Aimee’s ear before she looked up and saw him ...