Darius POV
“Does it hurt today?”
Seraphine’s voice was soft, carefully measured, like every word had been weighed before it left her lips.
I didn’t look at her.
“No.”
A lie.
Not because of the bond but because of her.
She shifted slightly beside me, the faint rustle of fabric drawing my attention despite myself. I kept my gaze forward, fixed on nothing in particular, watching the servants move through the courtyard below.
Controlled.
Orderly.
Predictable.
Unlike the tension building under my skin.
“You should rest more,” she said, stepping closer. “You’ve been distant.”
I almost laughed.
Distant.
That was one way to describe it.
“I have responsibilities,” I replied, my tone flat.
“You always have,” she said gently. “But this is different.”
Of course she noticed.
That was
