The stairs creaked twice before Rex got to the bottom. This was the sound that the Silver Rest's stairs made when more than one person was coming down at the same time.
Rex was the first to arrive, and he looked just like he always did in the morning: perfectly fine and not at all like someone who had spent most of the night doing something apart from sleeping.
Lily came down behind him, moving carefully like someone whose legs had decided to say something about the last few hours. Her hair was pulled back quickly, like someone who had fixed it swiftly instead of well.
Diana was the last to follow, wearing an expression that suggested she was present but not fully engaged mentally. The morning air had failed to bring a healthy glow to her skin.
When they came down, Mara was standing in the kitchen doorway with a cloth in her hands.
She glanced at Rex, then at Lily, before turning to Diana.
