Zubair woke the same way he had every day since he was seventeen—at five in the morning, as if something inside him tugged him back to the surface without mercy or hesitation.
But today, the moment he surfaced, there was no cold rush of adrenaline. No need to brace for alarms or footsteps or the metallic tang of danger riding under the walls. No missions that needed to be completed on the other side of the world.
Just the soft, even breath of the horde around him.
He opened his eyes slowly, forcing his body to relax.
Aerenyx was still sitting where he'd fallen asleep, his back against the bedframe, and his head tipped just slightly to the side. He looked like he had drifted only because Sera had, his body synced to hers with unsettling precision.
