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34 - Touch

Author: Grace Kara
last update Last Updated: 2025-10-03 18:22:02

He didn’t take her back through the main door. He carried her to the wall beside the great hearth, to the secret passage he had used before.

The stone swung inward, and he stepped into absolute darkness. The air here was old and cold, smelling of deep earth and dust. He didn’t slow down, navigating the pitch black passage with an unerring confidence that spoke of a lifetime spent in shadows.

The door on the other side opened into her rooms, and he carried her across the vast, empty space, his footsteps utterly silent on the stone. He didn’t take her to the bed.

He carried her into the adjoining washroom, a chamber she had barely glanced into, as cold and cavernous as the rest of the suite. It was dominated by a large, deep stone tub, a basin, and several clay jugs of water.

He set her on her feet beside the tub, and the moment her soles touched the cold floor, her legs gave out. He caught her before she could fall, his hands clamping onto her upper arms, holding her upright. His
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