Kael
By the time I reached my door, my shoulders felt like they were made of stone.
The palace hallways had quieted, but the tension hadn’t. Guards still moved between wings with purposeful strides, radios murmuring updates about patrol shifts and gate inspections. Normally I would have been right there with them, directing the search myself.
Instead, the king had looked me in the eye and told me to go to bed.
I still wasn’t sure if that had been an order or a kindness.
Probably both.
I stepped into my quarters and closed the door behind me. The lights were already on, casting a warm glow across the room, and the steady sound of running water drifted from the bathroom down the short hall.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.
Of course.
I shrugged out of my jacket and to
