The morning light felt wrong.
Too bright, too gentle, too clean after the darkness of the tunnels, after the sound of my fists cracking bone, after the feel of Hyena's blood on my gloves.
I stood in front of the mirror, the steam from the shower still curling around me, the faint bruises along my knuckles a reminder of how close I had come.
Of how close I was to crossing that line for good.
I had scrubbed until the water ran cold, until the blood was gone, but I could still feel it there, clinging to me, to my skin, to the space under my nails.
The band Alexis had given me was still around my wrist.
I tugged on it, grounding myself.
Breathe.
The apartment was quiet as I stepped out of the bathroom, towel around my shoulders, my damp hair leaving droplets along the hallway floor.
Sienna was in the kitchen, stirring a pot of something that smelled like chocolate, her brow furrowed in concentration, eyes flicking up every few seconds to look toward the hallway.
