RonanThe candle burned low, its flame small and steady like a heartbeat refusing to falter. The only sound was the subtle rasp of her breathing: uneven, soft, but no longer labored.She slept.Finally.Lila’s head rested against my shoulder, her fever-warmed body curled lightly against mine beneath
LilaThe fever came back slowly, I didn’t notice at first. It was the chill that never quite left my fingers, the way light blurred at the edges of my vision. Then the trembling started; small at first, then it was harder to ignore.I’d tried to sit up on my own. The room spun.“Careful,” came a voi
I moved like a ghost through the room. Fitting, I thought, since I’d been compared to the ghost of Damon’s first mate since arriving.The hem of my cloak trailed over the rugs, my fingers loosening the ties at my throat without thought. I left it on the chair. Then my boots. Then everything that fel
LilaI only wanted air. Feeling trapped in my rooms under constant guard was wearing on me. I may not have had a strong wolf, but the need to roam was still essential.The corridors near the eastern stairwell were quiet, mostly unused this time of day. The sun slanted through narrow windows, gilding
And I couldn’t disturb whatever peace and rest she had found.Not tonight.I turned away, one hand lingering briefly on the doorframe.Coward, Zane growled low in my mind. There was no anger to it. But I said nothing in response, because he wasn’t wrong.My thoughts were too busy to let me rest, and
DamonJackson was already waiting for me in the back corner of the restricted wing, lantern burning low beside a pile of neatly stacked volumes.He was so focused that he didn’t notice as I approached, not until I stopped at the table and said quietly, “What did you find?”“You’ll want to see this,”