Chapter 26 What Love Asks Back
The forest did not sleep that night. Neither did I. I sat on the floor of my chamber with my back against the bed, knees pulled to my chest, listening to the leaves outside whisper to one another like conspirators. Every sound felt intentional. Every shadow felt aware. Kael’s words echoed in my head, over and over. The cost is reconsidered. It should have frightened me more than it did. What frightened me was how quickly my thoughts had gone to him. Not to myself. Not to my blood. Not to what I might lose. To Kael. I hated that. Loved it too. A soft knock broke the silence. Before I could answer, the door creaked open and Luntian slipped inside, carrying a bowl that smelled aggressively herbal. “I brought you something,” she said. “Drink it or don’t. Either way, I’ll judge y
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