On his balcony, Kade stood perfectly still with his hands clasped tightly behind his back. His black silk robe, billowing in the morning breeze, was the only part of him that moved. The estate spread before him: training yards, kennels, barracks, gardens, but his eyes were unfocused, seeing something far beyond the present moment.
He had seen Rowan come in with the healers, but he stayed rooted in place, refusing to give it more importance than he had already done.
Dark circles beneath his eyes testified to another sleepless night. He had not rested properly since the war, since Kronos' den. Each time he closed his eyes, he found himself back there, chained in silver, watching his people die one by one. But the previous night had been different. He had not even attempted sleep. Instead, he had paced his bedchamber like a caged wolf, his thoughts fixed on the girl lying still as death in a room below.
