The silence that follows his departure is too deafening. I sit on the edge of Damian’s bed, while Evelyn sits in the chair near the fireplace. The room feels cold, though she stoked a fire.

I tuck my legs beneath me, hands wringing in my lap. The tray of snacks Evelyn picked up in the dining hall sits beside me, untouched. It doesn’t look like either of us has an appetite right now.

The door is locked, but she eyes it occasionally when someone passes.

My heart thuds in my chest at the ...