Chapter 80: Accusations at Dawn
Lyria's POV
The night air clung to me as I slipped back through the palace, my cloak drawn tightly about my shoulders, the pouch held close beneath the folds of the fabric.
Only when I reached my chambers did I finally breathe freely.
I closed the door softly behind me.
Then I moved at once.
The pouch came first.
I knelt by the worn board, prying it up with careful fingers, revealing the box beneath. I placed the pouch inside it carefully and then replaced the board.
My body ached faintly beneath my clothes, a dull reminder of the scars, though it was not nearly as sharp as it had been before.
I removed my cloak first, setting it aside, then began to undress.
The fabric fell away in quiet layers, and I reached for the cloth I kept in a small basin nearby, dipping it into the water and wringing it out before pressing it gently against my skin.
The coolness was immediate.
