Mira's eyelashes parted to gold ribbons of dawn slipping through the curtains. She lay still, fingers twined with Thane's beneath the covers, heart tied in equal measures of hope and fear.
"Morning," Thane murmured, his voice low as a secret. His thumb traced lazy circles on the back of her hand.
"Morning," she said, her voice full of sleep and wonder. She stirred slightly, experimenting with the feel of warmth beneath her cheek.
He smiled, a small bow of something gentle. "Sleep well?"
She blinked, aware of the question on her lips. "Like a stone… and like a bird." Her foot brushed his calf beneath the sheets. "I don't know how to feel."
He propped himself up on his elbow, studying her. "Half joy, half dread?"
She tangled her fingers in the sheet. “Exactly.” She let a wry grin slip
