The air inside the castle felt heavier that night, thick with something I couldn't quite name. Maybe it was the remnants of Thaddeus' lingering presence, his words still whispering in my mind like a dangerous lullaby. Or maybe it was something else entirely—something deeper, something raw.
I had locked myself inside my chambers, staring out into the darkened courtyard. I thought about Aamon's warning, about Thaddeus, about the way my body reacted when he came too close. But none of that compared to the way I felt when Damian was near.
A sharp knock echoed against my door, snapping me from my thoughts.
"Arabella," a deep, familiar voice called from the other side.
Damian.
I hesitated, fingers curling against the cool stone of the window ledge. His presence alone made my pulse race, my
