Stella
My eyes stayed fixed on Caspian.
He gave up his crown — maybe not for me, but because of me. Because of the injustice.
The air in the room felt thicker all at once, like it had nowhere left to go. I realized I was breathing too fast only when my chest began to ache, my lungs struggling to keep up with whatever had ignited between us.
Caspian didn't move.
He just stood there, watching me. Not the careful way he had been all week. Not guarded. Not restrained. His gaze had changed—darkened—just like it used to.
It made my skin prickle.
I dragged in a breath and tried to steady myself. Failed. The room tilted slightly, or maybe that was just me, my body still humming from adrenaline and shock and the echo of his voice.
"You should sit," he said quietly.
I shook my head.
If I
