Greta returned quietly, her head lowered. “She’s asleep,” she said, keeping her tone flat.

Cassien nodded, but his red eyes flickered toward the stairs. “Good,” he murmured, though his steps were already leading him there.

The room was dim when he entered. Ivy lay tangled in the sheets, her breathing soft and even, her skin faintly flushed from exhaustion. Cassien leaned against the doorframe, watching her chest rise and fall, the soft breathing. Something strange pressed in his ...