Phantom Hollow As fresh as a daisy,

Reverie grimaced slightly in reflexive response to Hunst's offering. Her appetite had been a slim thing for months now — ever since Dusty Rose's abduction. Her husband was safe now, free and far from where her father might harm him, but the continued absence of her daughters had taken its own heavy toll. She missed @Dahlia's smile, Foxglove's laughter, @Petal's embrace. She missed teaching them about the world each day and tucking them into her arms at night.

How could she think about eating?

Her stomach flipped and her throat tensed with sudden nausea. The warmth of Hunst's brief closeness was a welcome distraction; a desperate one. Where he hesitated, she closed the distance thoughtlessly, cheek pressing against his shoulder.

I hear soldiers are always thinking about food, Reverie's tone was teasing, but distant. Her thoughts were scattered, wandering, dancing in circles around the Sea-Snake guardian without ever truly touching his name.