Early Morning,
The blizzard had stopped, but the world was still quiet, insulated by a thick layer of snow.
Inside the bedroom, the light was grey and soft. Caspian was still asleep, his arm draped protectively over Orion (who was snoring softly in a nest of blankets on the floor).
I sat on the edge of the bed, watching Caspian breathe.
The grey veins on his neck were darker today. They looked like cracks in porcelain, creeping up toward his jawline.
I reached out, my fingers trembling slightly, and traced the line of the corruption.
"Does it hurt?" I whispered.
Caspian's eyes opened. They were teal and deep, like the ocean before a storm. He didn't answer. He just reached out, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me down.
"Whoa!"
I landed on the bed beside him. He wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my neck, holding me so tight I could barely breathe.
"Don't get up," Caspian mumbled into my skin. "The world is cold. You are warm."
