***Cassius***
I didn't sleep.
I lay in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling while my body ached with want and my mind spun in endless circles. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt Aldrik's lips on mine, tasted him, felt the way my body had responded with such desperate eagerness.
By the time dawn light started filtering through the window, I'd given up on the pretense of rest. I went downstairs and started preparing for the day, going through the motions of opening the shop even though I had no idea how I was supposed to focus on patients when all I could think about was last night.
The knock came just as I was organizing the counter, still early enough that the sun had barely risen.
I opened the door to find a courier standing there with a sealed letter.
"Delivery for Caelan," he said, handing it to me.
I gave him a coin and closed the door, turning the letter over in my hands. My heart skipped when I recognized the handwriting.
Not Cadiz's careful, precise script.
