I lay in the furs beside him for a long time. My skin felt sensitized, humming with the phantom heat of his touch. The cool air of the cavern began to settle over the dampness of my body. The silver key was clutched so tightly in my palm that the edge began to bite into my hand.
Don’t go to the south passage. His warning echoed in my mind, but it was the key that felt heavier.
I sat up, the cream lace of the dress falling around my hips. I looked at the tear he made. It was a jagged reminder that even as a man, he possessed a strength that could unmake me. I pulled the emerald velvet robe over my shoulders, the weight of it grounding me as I stood on shaky legs.
The lair felt different with Kaspar asleep. The walls felt closer, the shadows longer. I lit a handheld lantern with embers
