Kaelira didn’t sleep properly that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Kael’s face in that moment when she didn’t answer him. The way something inside him had gone still. Not anger or frustration. It was something worse than that, hurt that had nowhere to go. It was morning already. She turned in bed again, exhaling softly as she stared at the ceiling.
This was what she was trying to prevent. This feeling. This pull that was becoming too strong to ignore and yet, the more she tried to step away… the more it hurt.
A soft knock came at her door. Kaelira froze.
“Lady Kaelira?” Liana’s voice.
She sat up slowly. “Come in.”
The maid entered carefully, holding a folded letter in her hands. “This arrived for you.”
Kaelira frowned slightly. “From who?”
Liana hesitated just a littl
