Kael had spent three days trying to forget her. Three days pretending the human girl from Aurel’s gathering had not quietly invaded every corner of his mind. Training became unbearable. Council meetings dragged endlessly. Even silence inside the palace no longer felt peaceful because somehow, every quiet moment only reminded him of her voice. It irritated him more than he cared to admit which was exactly why he found himself standing outside the Vale estate long after sunset. This was reckless. His father had already warned him once. Yet Kael still stood there beneath the cover of darkness, dressed plainly enough to avoid attention while one of the estate servants hurried nervously inside after announcing his arrival.
A few moments later, the front doors opened again and there she was. Ka
