AmeliaWe followed Darius underground.The stairwell behind the cathedral organ was older than anything else in the building. It reeked of dust, metal, and long-dried blood. The panel hiding the stairs had been smashed in. Not forced with brute strength, cut with precision. Someone had wanted him to
He didn’t speak. Just let the door fall shut behind me.It was slow this time. Careful. His hands traced every inch of me like he was trying to memorize something, but when I kissed him, his restraint cracked.He deepened the kiss instantly, fingers sliding up my spine like he needed to relearn the
AmeliaThe clothes felt wrong.Not in the way they hung or fit, but in the way they dulled everything. The textures were too flat. The fabrics too quiet. I missed the mess of the nest, the sweat and skin and tangle of sheets that made everything feel vivid. Now the world had too much space in it, an
His expression didn’t change, but I saw the shift in his shoulders. “The nursery wing was attacked during one of the peak days. Airborne dispersal. It didn’t reach us.”I stared at him. “But it was in the house?”“Yes. Nathan contained it quickly.”My grip on the glass tightened. “Why didn’t you tel
I knew it was over the second I woke up.It wasn't because I felt normal. God, no. I didn’t feel anything close to normal. But the air was still. No pulse behind my eyes, no unbearable heat clinging to my skin. Just the slow, sticky hum of exhaustion stretching from the base of my skull to the tips
Richard’s hand paused on my back. “It usually does.”I lifted my head. “But it hasn’t. Not really.”He nodded. “It’s easing. But your body’s holding onto it.”“Is that bad?”His eyes searched mine. “No. Just intense. Unusual. But you’ve always been a little unusual.”“I like how it feels,” I admitte