VALERIA

After making the boldest agreement of my life, Aldric left and asked the innkeeper to prepare a hot bath.

I appreciated the gesture and sank into the soothing water up to my neck, alone in the room, sighing in relief.

I didn’t want to think about anything, but as I raised the hand where I had been burned by that strange stone, I realized it was almost fully healed. I touched my neck too—no pain.

All my wounds and bruises were healing fast, faster than ever before, except for the most se