18
Vesper
Vesper woke in the night, sitting up in bed. She glanced around Kirael's guest bedroom, her brain still fuzzy with sleep.
There, the sound came again. A low keening, sorrowful.
Kirael, she thought.
Rising, she threw back the blankets and padded out of her room. The wood floor was cold against her bare feet as she went to Kirael's bedroom door. It was open a crack, and she heard another groan.
Biting her lip and moving as quietly as possible, she nudged his door open wider.
"No!" he shouted suddenly, making her jump.
Vesper pushed the door wide. Moonlight splashed across his bed, illuminating Kirael as he slept. He was naked except for a slip of sheet around his hips, sprawled on his stomach.
He made another low sound, the muscles in his back rippling and tensing.
"Forgi
