Morning sunlight spilled lazily through the broken window of Kent's room in the Half Moon Inn, washing over the shattered remains of last night's chaos—the cracked floorboards, the scorched herbs, the exploded cauldron, and the faint scent of roses that still lingered in the air like the ghost of a forbidden secret.
Bai Qi slowly opened her eyes.
Her body ached in places she didn't know could ache, bruised from the beating, her meridians still throbbed from the spirit lock Kent had used on her. She tried to move but found herself lying on the side of the bed, now properly unbound yet heavy with shame.
Then she noticed him.
Kent sat calmly across the room, dressed in fresh robes, sipping a steaming cup of tea. Another cup rested on a small wooden tray beside her—still warm.
