The morning before departure dawned grey and cold, a fitting mirror for the weight in my chest. My room, which had been my prison and sanctuary for so many weeks, was now a chaos of packed trunks and folded garments. The life I had lived here was ending. Tomorrow, I would leave it all behind.
But before I could leave, I had to say goodbye.
Lucian came first, slipping past Sir Edric with the ease of long practice. He stood in my doorway for a moment, his dark blue eyes taking in the packed trunks, the bare walls, and the finality of departure. Then he smiled—a warm, genuine expression that did not quite reach his eyes.
"So, tomorrow."
"Tomorrow." I gestured to the chair by my window, and he sat, his scholar's robes settling around him like a second skin. I took the opposite chair, the one where I had spent so many hours watching and waiting.
