LYRA POINT OF VIEW

Kael rose from the bed slowly, his hand slipping from mine as though reluctant to let go, yet already pulled back toward the responsibilities waiting beyond my chamber doors. The warmth he had brought into the room lingered in the air after him, heat from his body, the faint scent of iron and smoke clinging to his clothes, but it began fading almost immediately.

Silence crept back in.

Not gentle silence.

Restless silence.

The kind that presses against the walls and makes ...