Nerine set down her fork carefully, pressing her trembling hands against her lap beneath the tablecloth. She needed to ask. The thought had been gnawing at her, and if she left it unsaid, she would regret it. Drawing a sharp breath, she forced the words out.
"Can I go home before the wedding day?"
Her voice wavered. She held her breath, awaiting his reaction, her fingers twisting into the folds of her gown.
Kael tilted his head slowly, his obsidian eyes narrowing slightly as though weighing the request. "Home?" he repeated, the word sliding off his tongue like velvet, though the weight in it made her heart lurch. "And why, little rose, do you wish to go home?"
