After he had leapt from the terrace like a shadow dissolving into the night, Kael returned to his chambers. His boots made no sound against the marble floor, the vast Blackthorn mansion still and brooding as if asleep. In his room, he loosened his collar and let the night air against his skin. A bath was drawn by his attendants with silent efficiency, but Kael dismissed them with a wave of his hand—he preferred solitude tonight.
The steaming water filled the stone tub, fog curling against the golden fixtures. Kael lowered himself into it, closing his eyes briefly, feeling the weight of the evening ease from his body. He lingered only long enough for his skin to lose its chill, then rose, dressed in a dark shirt and trousers, and stepped outside into the night.
