_Lyla's POV_
The sun had barely begun to rise when Dorian and I made our way through the forest path leading to the seer’s cottage. The ground was still damp with dew, and the leaves above rustled softly with the morning breeze. Each step felt heavy. My hand was unconsciously resting on the small swell of my stomach as I walked. Dorian held my other hand, our fingers entwined like a silent promise.
Neither of us spoke during the walk. Words felt too small for everything we carried in our hearts.
The seer’s cottage came into view. It was small, ancient, almost hidden among the trees, with curling smoke drifting lazily from its chimney. It looked the same as before, but somehow different too. Maybe because I wasn’t the same girl who had walked through that door the first time.
I wasn’t j
