---
Fenna's voice softened. "Good."
She reached out without opening her eyes, and he took her hand. They fell asleep that way, two hands joined in a circle of flame light and silence.
Outside, Emberfall city breathed, pulsing like a living forge. And far to the east, where rumor and ruin met the rising winds, something stirred. But for now, the fire in this attic burned soft and steady.
A few hours later…
Zephyr woke before dawn. His heartbeat hammering like a smith's trip hammer against his ribs.
The attic air was warm, scented with dried herbs, dye steam, and the faint mineral bite of bandage salve. His pulse was loud in his ears, a steady throb that wouldn't relent. For a moment, he simply lay there, eyes open to the ceiling's shadowed beams, fists clenched beneath the thin blanket.
(In case someone doesn't know what Salve is.
Salve = a soft, often medicated ointment used to heal skin or wounds.)