The air in the hideout was heavy with tension.
Bella lay still, her face pale against the worn leather couch, wrapped in a gray blanket that kept her warm. The purple bruise at her temple was darker now, angry and swollen.
A bowl of water sat by her side, and the cloth Luca had used to mop her forehead was soaked through. Her breathing was still shallow.
Luca hadn't moved from her side. He sat hunched over, one hand running through his dark, tangled hair, the other clutching Bella's tightly, as if willing his strength into her.
The three boys were fully dressed now.
Cassian paced the corner, his hands running through his hair in frustration. "We should have taken her to the infirmary," he muttered under his breath. "She needs real care. A healer. Not this... waiting. This is wasting time we don't even have."
