The rain had not stopped by the time Serena reached home.
It came down in silver sheets, washing the cobblestones clean until the lamps shimmered like fractured stars. The city was half-asleep, muffled beneath the steady hum of the storm.
She stood for a moment outside the little townhouse — breathing in the wet, heavy air, trying to still the wild pulse beneath her ribs. The world felt different now: quieter, uncertain, suspended between guilt and something she dared not name.
Inside, the hearth still burned low. Emily sat waiting, her shawl drawn close, eyes tired but sharp as ever.
Serena's steps were soft as she entered, her cloak dripping onto the floor.
"You went," Emily said without preamble.
Serena froze. "I didn't—"
"Don't lie."
Serena exhaled, the faintest shiver in her breath. "He called for me."
"And you answered."
She didn't deny it. The rain outside filled the silence.
Emily looked at her for a long moment before she asked quietly, "What did he want?"
