Sera woke slowly, feeling better than the first time she woke up...
Warmth pulsed through her body in slow waves, easing the ache in her muscles and the stiffness in her limbs. For one blissful moment, she forgot where she was.
Then she smelled rain-soaked stone.
Wood.
Smoke from a fire…
And---
Kael?!
Her eyes blinked open.
The room was some type of temporary shelter, probably one of the border village homes. She'd been so out of it, she hadn't even realized he'd moved her...
The room around her was modest compared to the overwhelming luxury of the Demon Castle. Bare stone walls curved around a small chamber lit by a crackling lantern. Heavy wooden beams crossed the ceiling, and a narrow bed sat tucked against the wall beneath a tiny window streaked with rain.
And sitting beside her---
Kael!
His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, exposing strong forearms marked with faint black veins of magic, which fascinated her.
In more ways than just one…
