Aelion cautiously peered through the window, hoping to see whether Ava had returned.
She had.
She lay asleep on the bed, the blanket having slipped to her waist, exposing the pale skin of her back.
His breath caught.
Her back...
It was covered in scars.
Old ones. Some were thin and faded, others cruel enough that even time had failed to erase them completely. They crisscrossed her skin in silent testimony to a past she had never spoken about.
For a heartbeat, Aelion could only stare… Then he noticed someone else.
A man stood beside the bed, leaning over her. His hand hovered just above those scars, as though he had been about to touch them.
Aelion's blood ran hot.
Every thought fled his mind.
He forgot he had secretly climbed into the girls' dormitory. Forgot the danger of being caught. Forgot everything except the sight before him.
"Who are you?" he shouted, his voice echoing through the room. "What are you doing?"
The man slowly turned. Dark hair. Black eyes.
