Moonlight Serenades

hoed in my mind, the weight of it pressing against my ribs. I had no idea where

eadable flickering in those stormy eyes. His jaw clenched as he to

r now, but there was somethi

t, screaming at me to take it back, to pretend I hadn't a

tle. No one takes what's mine. His voice-his exact voice-spoken

He didn't look like someone who had just

. Like he ha

pine. "You heard me," I murm

hed, thick and suf

tone carefully measured. Too careful. "

orward. "That's

"Because there

i

es. Kaiden knew something. Maybe not everything, but something. And the fa

ide

harp now, edged with some

t the tone-but at

even during our worst arguments. And maybe that

tri

e stops

lacking the usual bite, or maybe because something about the w

xpression into something ne

infuriatingly composed. There's a small cut just above his collarbone,

omething I don't understand. Then, his br

you smel

sto

e w

jaw clenching just a fraction. Then, just as quickly, his ent

e mutters, ste

bout that p

ack of my scent now?" I snap, forcing a

en s

ching-not quite a smile, but close

steps

enough that I feel the warmth radiating off of him, enough that hi

es hold mine, dark and unreadable. "You do a

se stu

I don't like the way his voice seems to sink

. "Wow. That wa

respond. He j

lo

inte

e the way my heart is beat

xhales, stepping ba

ike that,

⸻✧⸻

king a sound against the stone floor. It's dimly lit, the torches along the walls flickering lazily

acks of books. "Of course, Elder Magnus would send me on a scavenger

nt tomes, searching for the specific record the Elder had requested. My fingers

H

hes to the gro

ound so fast my heart

air feels thick, charged, like something unsee

step forward, my eyes lock

ass

kingly similar to blood. It has spilled slightly onto a piece of parchme

t it makes my

g up the parchment, careful not to smudge

catches

ient, the letters curling in

estined pair, but fate was

ds, the threa

forged, the

hide, but tru

st shall ri

ecalls what

bond shall

nds violentl

it, my fingers gripping the fragile pap

n? The past may hide

bloomed in my mind, as if t

r when the future is al

ecalls what m

.. vis

mething cold slithers down my spine. This...

H

from another shelf, landing just inches away. The room su

ent and slip it into my pocket befo

. And I need to find out