Thalia let out a long, shaky sigh, one that seemed to come from the deepest part of her chest. Her eyes shimmered with silent tears, not from pain this time but from relief, a real, heavy relief. The kind that settles in slowly after months of fear, after nights spent staring at ceilings and wondering when the next disaster would strike.

Eliana had finally been arrested.

The words still didn’t feel real. Even as they echoed in her head, Thalia found herself holding her breath, as though the universe might snatch the peace away if she relaxed too much.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she wiped at her cheeks, brushing...