Kael did not walk me back to my chambers.
He walked beside me.
Close enough that the heat beneath my collarbone refused to settle, yet not once did his hand brush mine. The corridor seemed narrower with him there, the air heavier, as though the fortress itself acknowledged his presence differently.
When we reached the turn that would lead me away from him, he stopped.
“I have a council session,” he said quietly.
The words were calm, but something beneath them was not.
“About the howl?” I asked.
His gaze lingered on me for a moment too long. “Among other things.”
Before I could respond, he stepped back. The distance was small, but the warmth beneath my skin dimmed almost instantly, like embers deprived of oxygen. He noticed that too. His jaw tightened faintly.
“Stay inside,” he add
