[Lilia]

What I don’t know is if I was just hallucinating or if Kael’s voice really did make my room shake. I could feel my heart pounding loudly even without turning around to look at him. Aya’s body trembled with fear as she fastened the final clasp on my sandals before standing up and bending herself into an exaggerated bow.

“Please forgive me, master,” she whimpered in a low, almost inaudible voice, begging for forgiveness as though she had committed a grave crime against Kael.

I ...