ISOLDE

I stepped out of the bath, my body still trembling from everything that had happened. The night air brushed my skin as I slipped into a plain nightdress and tied the rope at my chest. The soft fabric clung to me as I walked back into his chamber.

Rowan sat at his desk, his shoulders stiff, his eyes lowered to a parchment only he understood. The candlelight caught the edge of his jaw, sharp and unreadable.

He didn’t look at me.

I didn’t speak.

The silence between us was heavy and ...