The chamber doors seal behind us with a muffled thud, swallowing the echoes of chaos from the ballroom. Shadows crawl over the stone walls like whispers, disturbed only by the flicker of sconces casting gold-tipped flames. I sit in silence, heart a clenched fist in my chest, eyes on Lily.
She perches on the edge of the chaise like she's forgotten how to belong to her own limbs. Her dress is scorched along one hem, dirt smudges her cheek, and her small hands tremble no matter how tightly she curls them into her lap.
Celeste kneels before her, brushing a strand of Lily's tangled hair behind her ear. "Sweetheart," she says, voice softer than I've ever heard it, "can you tell us what happened?"
Lily shakes her head once. Then again, slower. "I don't remember everything. Just… sounds. Light. It was warm and cold at the same time. I wasn't scared." She glances at me like that part is meant just for me. "There was a voice. It said I'd be safe. That I needed to come back."
