Elowen's POV
That morning I wiped condensation from the window with my fingertip and saw white flakes drifting onto the sill.
Snow. The first of the year, falling on my birthday.
It had been over six months since I'd come to the Northern Reach. Kael had taken good care of me in his own way and today, being my birthday, I wanted to give back.
I decided to take him out to dinner.
I tried on more than ten outfits before settling on the plush coat and boots he'd taken me to buy just the other week, then stepped out of my room.
I walked straight into him coming out of his.
He was dressed formally, a dark shirt and fitted jacket, every detail precise and unhurried. The kind of dress that meant somewhere important to be.
My heart faltered. If he was going out, my plans today would fall th
