Serein had planned to leave at dawn, before the first light could touch the streets. Yet despite the restless night, she ended up sleeping straight into noon.
Perhaps it was the taste of a home-cooked meal that had settled her body. Or perhaps it was the faint trace of Kai's levo lingering in the room, wrapping her like an invisible blanket, giving her the illusion of being protected.
Only when the rhythmic sound of a knife tapping steadily against a chopping board came from outside did she finally stir awake.
She sat up in a rush, hastily slipped back into yesterday's clothes, and tiptoed out of the room.
The door had hardly opened when Kai's mother—Susan—poked her head from behind the counter. Her kindly face, beaded with sweat from the heat of the kitchen, nevertheless shone with a welcoming smile.
"You're awake, dear?"
Caught off guard, Serein smiled sheepishly. "Yes.. I overslept."
