Kael did not sleep. The realization irritated him long before sunrise. He stood alone on the balcony outside his chambers with one hand resting against the cold stone railing, gaze fixed on the dark capital below while the events from the library replayed in his mind with increasing clarity. A mistake— that was what it should have been. One reckless moment One lapse in judgment and nothing more.
Instead, he could still feel her leaning into his hand. Still remember the way she looked at him after the kiss like she had noticed something he had been trying very hard to keep hidden from himself.
Kael exhaled sharply, annoyed but not at her but himself.
“You look terrible.” Ronan’s voice broke through the silence as he stepped onto the balcony carrying two glasses in one hand.
Kael didn’t
