*Ember*

A thrill passed through me as I took Alec’s hand. His palm was warm against mine as he tugged me gently from the room and into the hallway. A bolt of excitement rolled in my chest as I followed him.

The thought that I might go to the library whenever I liked was deliciously novel to me. It felt like a wildly rebellious thing to stride so boldly down the corridors towards such a forbidden place. What would my father say if he could see me now?

As I ...