Chapter 12: The Weight of Truth

The world returned to me in fragments. The scent of herbs and woodsmoke. The crackle of a nearby fire. A dull, persistent ache in my bones that was deeper than any wound. And a warmth—a steady, solid warmth at my side. I opened my eyes slowly, the light from the hearth stinging. I was in a bed, but not my cot in the antechamber. The room was larger, the air cleaner. I was in Kaine’s bedroom. He was sitting in a chair pulled up close to the bed, his head bowed, his hands clasped tightly together....