Morning came slowly.
[Wake up host.]
For a moment I remained suspended between sleep and waking, warm and heavy beneath the covers. Sunlight filtered faintly through the curtains, pale gold against the walls.
Then I shifted.
The space beside me was cool.
My eyes opened fully.
Elias was not there.
[Do not panic host, he is a grown man capable of anything.]
I pushed myself up slightly, the sheets pooling around my waist, and glanced toward the windows, the chairs, the adjoining sitting room.
Empty.
A flicker of unease brushed through me before I could stop it.
[Relax. If he had been kidnapped, I assure you there would be considerably more screaming.]
That did not help.
I was just about to throw the covers aside when the door opened.
I turned quickly—
And smiled.
Elias stepped in, already dressed, hair slightly damp as though he had washed. He looked entirely composed.
Then I saw who stood behind him.
Maribel.
And Liora.
My smile vanished.
