He wakes at 3 a.m.
I know because I wake when he moves, even though I fell asleep sitting on floor by nest, palm wrapped in old shirt, chest cut aching under green dress I never took off.
Floor cold. Fire low.
Caelan opens eyes, grey in dark, not gold. Looks around, confused.
Sees floor nest, not his room. Sees me on floor next to him, hand still holding his wrist where I was checking pulse.
He tries to sit up, hisses.
"Don't," I whisper, half asleep. "Healer said sleep till morning."
"Ella?" His voice rough, poison dry.
"Yeah."
"What happened?"
"You drank my poisoned wine. I cut chest and palm. You lived. Rhea left through window saying we are even."
He blinks, slow.
"Rhea poisoned?"
"To test," I say. I sit up more, wince at palm. "She wanted to see if we bleed for each other
