The next morning, the sun came out.
It was a brilliant, crisp winter sun that turned the wet grass into a field of diamonds. I woke up warm.
For weeks, waking up had been a battle, a struggle against exhaustion, or anxiety, or the weight of the magic. But today, I woke up feeling… light. Not the floaty, unmoored lightness of the mania, but the comfortable lightness of a good night’s sleep.
I stretched, my bones popping satisfyingly.
Adrien was already awake. He was lying on his side, propped up on one elbow, watching me. He wasn't brooding. He was smiling.
"Morning," he rasped, his voice thick with sleep.
"Morning," I yawned, rolling toward him. I draped an arm over his chest. He felt solid and warm. "Is the world still there?"
"Checked the window," he said, brushing a stray hair fr
