Chapter 63: The Bargain
The first grey light of dawn had not yet breached the high, narrow windows of their bedchamber when Lyra stirred. The profound, bone-deep warmth of the furs and of Kael's powerful body curled around hers was a stark, cruel contrast to the ice forming in her veins. Last night had been a sanctuary, a temporary haven carved from fear and desperation. But sanctuaries were, by their very nature, temporary. The real world, with its brutal demands and impossible choices, had returned with the creeping light.
Kael's arm was a heavy, protective band across her waist, his breathing deep and even against her neck. She could feel the steady, reassuring thrum of his heart against her back. For a long moment, she allowed herself to simply exist in that safety, memorizing the feeling of his skin against hers, the scent of pine and male that was uniquely his. Then, the memory of the Northern emissary's words sliced through the peace like a shard of glass.
