The eastern wing settled into a rare, heavy quiet after midnight.
Lin Wan had finally succumbed to exhaustion, her breathing slowing into a steady rhythm. One hand remained draped over her swollen stomach, a subconscious shield even in her sleep. Beside the bed, Sister Yun sat in a stiff wooden chair, her eyes half-closed in a fitful slumber. Physician Nessa's warnings echoed in her mind—no one was allowed to leave the room unattended tonight. The three unborn children had been restless for hours, their kicks sharp and frequent enough to keep the entire wing on edge.
Perched on the sill of the tall arching window, Weiwei sat motionless. The tiny black cat looked like a carved piece of obsidian against the moonlight, her golden eyes fixed on the darkness beyond the Citadel's outer walls. For nearly an hour, she hadn't so much as twitched a whisker.
Then, her ears flattened. Her pupils dilated until the gold vanished into black.
