Chapter 7

Alaria

I had just gotten Nasia to sleep. She was restless, refusing to go to bed. However, I could not blame her. After what she had seen, after the fear, I knew that it would be hard for her to be able to go back to normally going to sleep without being frightened.

“Mama's going to be right by your side. All you have to do is just call.” I had whispered to her before she allowed herself to go to bed.

Her tiny form was curled up against the pillows of the guest house bed, cheeks flushed from exhaustion. I smoothed her curls back gently, placing a soft kiss on her forehead before pulling the blanket up to her chin.

The house was quiet.

The maids were cleaning the kitchen after dinner. I sat down on the couch, ignoring the throbbing pain that I felt. I wasn't supposed to be walking around at all, but I also knew that my daughter needed me.

But the silence within the house did not feel peaceful. It felt dangerous. It was painf