Chapter 23: Roots Beneath the Fire
--- Eryx had perfected the mask of innocence. Regret flickered in his eyes, his posture bowed just enough to suggest guilt, a penitent shadow of the boy Skyler once knew. It was convincing too convincing but Kaden no longer doubted her. He no longer needed to. Each day, their trust deepened, stitched together in quiet, unspoken ways. Shared glances during council meetings lingered a heartbeat too long. Soft touches in the corridors, hands brushing when no one watched. Distant walks along the fortress walls at dawn, the wind tugging at her hair as he let his presence anchor her. She challenged him, teased him, made him laugh; he protected her, steadied her, carried her in ways no one else could understand. Their love had become a quiet fire, patient and enduring, like roots gro
- Writer
