PENELOPE'S POV

Warmth from the fireplace pulled me away from the bed to its side, where I sat with my legs cradled up and supporting my jaw. The fire crackled in the silence that filled my room, shadows dancing against the stone walls as though they whispered things I didn't want to hear.

I hadn't changed out of the occasion dress despite Daemon's advice to get changed before he left my room. The dual colors of the fire danced to the tunes of the breeze, carving a path down my memory to the ...