The floorboards in Elder Silvia's residence creaked with every careful step Lily took, her bare feet padding silently through the darkened hallway. The moon hung low and full through the windows, casting silver ribbons across the wooden floor. Her heart thrummed against her ribs like a caged bird, her breath shallow and quick.
She had tried. Gods above, she had tried to be patient.
For weeks, she had watched him from across the dining table, watched the way his head tilted when he listened to the voices of Exildra and Alana. And every night she had lain in her own bed, burning. His door was slightly ajar, a sliver of darkness. She pushed it open without a sound and slipped inside.
