Hearing Niomi's calm, reasonable words, Violet's eyes slowly returned to normal. The wild edge faded, replaced by a glint of weary clarity. A moment later, a self-deprecating smile curved her lips—thin, bitter, and almost ashamed.
Who would have thought that someone as seasoned, as battle-worn as her, could be so easily overwhelmed?
Yet in truth, no one could fault her for it. In her place, most would have crumbled far sooner.
After all, the very first news she'd heard upon returning from her year-long mission had been a double blow: her husband was paralyzed… and her youngest son had gone to war with their greatest rival.
And that was only the beginning.
Soon after, she learned of the situation with Roan—how he and his family of three had simply vanished without a trace, as if swallowed by the earth itself.
