"I had no idea you had already reconciled with them..." Micah answered softly, stepping back toward the edge of the bed. "They seemed happy."

"This noon?" I demanded, my tone sharp and demanding. I had explicitly asked when they arrived, since we hadn't exchanged a single word in four agonizing days. "Who allowed them clearance into this estate? Were the perimeter guards hard on them?"

"Relax," Micah murmured, a faint, fragile smile touching her lips.

Yet beneath that attempt at composure, I could see the lingering guilt weighing her down. Her bright green eyes—usually so fiery and alive—looked dull, , and exhausted. The contrast between her expression now and the...