Kaelen woke to the feeling of breathlessness.
The duke was sitting cross-legged on the padded silk, his dark hair still damp from his bath, his crimson robe loose around his shoulders. Near his lap just beside Kaelens head sat Sprite, the beast's ember eyes half-closed, its small body vibrating with a purr that sounded like stones grinding together and with the numb feeling on his face Kaelen was sure sprite had been on his head. Iron was sprawled across his thighs, his round pink body rising and falling, his curly tail twitching in his sleep. And Twist, Twist had somehow wrapped himself around his neck like a living scarf, his flexible body coiled twice, his golden eyes fixed on the duke's face with an expression of profound judgment.
But the dukes eyes were on Kaelen.
"They were cold," Kaelen said coughing slightly, not looking up. "You left them in the main chamber. They found their way here. Maybe."
