Aeliana
Promptly at seven, Derek knocked on the door. Except it wasn't the door that led to the hallway, but the one that separated my suite from his. I opened it to find him dressed for dinner, and immediately regretted not changing into something a little fancier. I had assumed it would be casual with just the two of us. But my new pendant was still around my neck, and that gave me the courage I needed to take his arm and let him lead me down the short hallway.
His room was masculine but bright, with dark furniture and light blue walls, with a navy quilt over the bed. In the corner was a desk with stacks of papers and parchment, along with several leather-bound log books. "Did you forget something?" I asked, thinking we were simply stopping by his room before going to dinner.
"No," he
