And so I found myself curling up in my mother’s bed minutes later, the daggers left in my bag this time, the bathroom unsearched. She blew out the candles, then joined me. In the dark, her slow breathing was a soothing lullaby to my ears – we had no army, no magic, and yet that quiet, even sound reassured me time and time again that all would be well in the end. ‘Good night,’ I whispered. Her hand brushed over the crown of my head, as soft as her voice. ‘Good night, baby girl.’ This time, I fell asleep within minutes.
