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Alessia was going to set the tent on fire if Askarion didn’t let her up soon. She had been in bed for days, with her ankle a throbbing mess of stitches and poultices. She was losing what was left of her godsdamned mind. Stella had taken to her role as “warden” with terrifying enthusiasm, threatening…
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Alessia sat beside the fire with Stella, building rock towers on the ground near her. She looked at the shackle around her ankle. For the first time in years, she thought about removing it. When Walus had placed it, he’d had the lock filled with molten metal and stamped with his sigil—permanently welding it closed…
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The camp quieted as night fell—fires flickering low, soldiers shuffling off to rest. The four of them gathered in Dionys’ tent—Stella tucked into a nest of blankets, already half asleep. Odrian sprawled across a cushion, twirling Walus’ stolen dagger between his fingers like a bard’s prop. “So. Ten days.” His voice was light, but his…
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Odrian had Dionys pinned against a stack of grain sacks, his lips tracing the shell of his ear with wicked intent. “Say it again,” he murmured, his voice rough. Dionys arched into the touch—just slightly—before scoffing. “No.” Odrian clamped his teeth down on Dionys’ earlobe in retaliation—just lightly, just enough for the other man to…
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Alessia had finished wrapping her stitches—mostly without swearing—when she heard the unmistakable sound of a small child barreling toward their tent. A second later, Stella crashed through the flaps, her arms full of what appeared to be every single flower within a five-mile radius, her grin brighter than the sun. Behind her, Odrian looked deeply…
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Stella was finally asleep after a long day of exploring the camp under Odrian’s indulgent supervision. Alessia—still sore but restless—was sitting outside their tent under the moonlight, carefully cutting the linen Patrian had given her. The night air was cool against her skin, the fire beside her crackling softly as she worked. She could hear…
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The sun had barely crested the horizon when Stella woke, her tiny fists already tugging at Alessia’s tunic with the urgency of a general marshaling her troops. “Mama,” she whispered conspiratorially, “the birds are stealing breakfast.” Alessia groaned and buried her face against Dionys’ shoulder. “Tell the birds to come back later,” she mumbled. Dionys—who…
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Dawn found them tangled together, Stella between Alessia and Dionys. The little girl woke first—poking Dionys’ bicep with the academic curiosity of a child who had discovered a wall where there wasn’t one before. Alessia woke slowly to the sound of Stella’s enthusiastic poking and Odrian’s poorly stifled laughter. She cracked open an eye—wincing at…
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Content Warning: This chapter contains themes of past abuse, threats made toward a child, intense fear-based coercion, discussion of a parent preparing a fatal “backup plan” for herself and her child, references to severe mistreatment by a former captor, and strong emotional distress. It also includes characters reacting with overwhelming anger and protective intensity. Please…
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Content Warning: This chapter includes themes of abusive household dynamics, coercion involving a minor, pregnancy involving a minor (discussed only), threats and intimidation toward a child, psychological conditioning, physical mistreatment (non-graphic), confinement, and detailed recollections of escaping an abusive situation. It also contains strong emotional distress responses and intense anger toward the abuser. Please be…
Tiny Raven 