Emma POV

The knock came again.

Not loud.

Not angry.

Just steady.

Like whoever stood outside had all the time in the world.

My throat closed. My body felt frozen, but my heart was pounding so hard I thought whoever stood outside could hear it through the walls. Through the door. Through me.

The small room suddenly felt smaller.

The wooden air. The faint smell of dried herbs hanging near the window. The soft afternoon light spilling across the floorboards like nothing was wrong.

Another ...