The moss rustled softly as I shifted upright.
Talon’s head turned instantly.
The moment his gaze found mine, the tension in his posture eased, the faintest hint of warmth touching his expression. Asmall curve tugged at his mouth—so brief I might have missed it if I had blinked.
“Rest well, little flame?”
“I did,” I replied.
The stretch that followed pulled gently at muscles that still remembered yesterday’s climb. As my arms lifted, my attention snagged on a neatly folded bundle resting atop a polished slab of obsidian nearby.
I slid from the moss bed and stepped closer, curiosity drawing me in. The tunic and breeches were darker than the garments Talon wore—rich, shadowed fabric threaded with a faint iridescent sheen that caught the violet light in subtle flashes, like starlight trapped in silk.
“They were brought for you,” Talon said.
I glanced back to find him watching me.
“I alerted my kin when we arrived,” he continued. “They saw to your needs.”
I reached for the fabric, surprised by how light it felt between my fingers.
When I turned back, Talon extended his hand without a word. I took it and allowed him to guide me closer to him.
His hands lingered as he moved behind me, guiding my arms through the sleeves of the tunic, adjusting the fabric so it settled cleanly across my shoulders. The garment clung like a second skin, impossibly light and perfectly fitted.
Even through the delicate weave, I could feel the steady heat of his palms.
“You look beautiful,” he murmured, his gaze sweeping over me.
My cheeks burned, a smile pulling at my lips. “Thank you.”
He laced his fingers with mine and guided me out of the chamber.
The main hall of the Umbral was alive with silent industry, its people moving with confident rhythm. The architecture towered around us, walls and spires of obsidian gleaming with captured light, and my pulse climbed, caught somewhere between awe and unease.
This realm was breathtaking and foreign, and a part of me still was not sure where I fit within it.
We descended deeper into the labyrinth of the city until the lean frame of Bater came into view. He stood beside a petite woman whose dark eyes seemed to catalog every detail of my presence with a single glance.
Their hushed conversation stilled as we approached, and both straightened. They bowed their heads to Talon, and I felt the weight of a silent curiosity land briefly on me before the woman gave a single nod and scurried into the shadows.
“I have matters to see to,” Talon said, his voice lowering as his gaze held mine. “The defenses must be strengthened before the High Court decides its next move.”
His thumb brushed once across the back of my hand.
“Bater and Neya will stay with you while you explore the tiers.”
His hand slipped to my waist, drawing me into the heat of his body. He bent his head, his lips brushing mine in a kiss that was brief and gentle.
“We will meet for supper tonight,” he murmured, his mouth brushing mine. His breath was warm, touched faintly with mint and rain. “When the bell rings, Bater will bring you to the dining chamber.”
His fingers tightened around mine for a brief moment before he let go. The shadows of the hall swallowed him quickly, his dark form disappearing into the drifting currents of the city beyond.
I remained where I was, my pulse uneven as I watched the place where he had vanished, the quiet of the corridor settling around me once more.
Bater hummed from behind me, and I turned to face him as he ruffled through the deep pocket of his cloak.
“Are you ready?”