*Rory*
The fire’s nearly out, the air cool enough now that Cait shifts closer in her sleep, one leg sliding over mine beneath the blanket. Her breath is slow and even, her head tucked beneath my chin. The last of the flower petals are crushed, and I still smell them in her hair.
I’ve never felt anything like this contentment. I close my eyes and tighten my arm around her waist as if I can hold the moment still.
Then I hear it.
A clang, like metal on stone.
I snap my eyes open. Cait stirs, murmuring something unintelligible in her sleep. I lift my head, straining to hear outside the castle walls.
Another sound—closer this time. A door slamming. A muffled yell. Not the drunken laughter from earlier. No, this sound carries urgency.
“Cait,” I whisper, shaking her gently. “Wake up.”
S
