The morning pressed itself quietly against Alina’s chambers. She had not slept deeply—dreams came in fractured patterns, shadows weaving through them like threads too fine to catch. When she finally stirred, the candle at her bedside had melted to nothing, leaving only the faint perfume of smoke lingering in the air.
She dressed without calling for anyone. No attendants, no breakfast tray, no words exchanged in the hush of the halls. The castle felt too heavy with the memory of last night, with Riven’s heat and his words curled inside her ribs. If she lingered among its walls, she would hear him in every echo. She needed air.
The great doors at the rear of the keep opened stiffly, hinges groaning as though they hadn’t been used in weeks. A cool current slipped across her skin, carrying t
