Morning sunlight filtered through the plantation's weathered curtains, casting dappled patterns across the bedroom floor. I traced the cut on my cheek, nearly healed thanks to the herbal poultice Lucien had applied after the golem attack yesterday. My body still ached from the magical exertion, a dull throb that reminded me how close we'd come to being overwhelmed.
Lucien stood by the window, his tall frame silhouetted against the light, creating a strange contradiction, a vampire partially bathed in sunlight. The enchanted glass I'd spelled months ago allowed him this small freedom within the house. Outside, he'd still need to avoid direct sun.
"You're staring," he said without turning around.
I smiled despite the heaviness hanging over us. "Hard not to."
When he faced me, his express
