The heavy, suffocating silence of the imperial chambers was abruptly shattered by a sharp, rhythmic tapping against the grand arched window.
Rivina snapped her eyes open. For a second, she didn't move, her gaze piercing through the darkness toward the balcony. Perched on the cold stone sill outside was Black, his dark feathers blending into the midnight sky.
Black? What on earth is he doing here? A sudden uneasiness tightened her chest. Slipping out of her silk sheets, she wrapped a heavy velvet robe around her shoulders, crossed the room with quiet, urgent steps, and unlatched the heavy glass window.
"Black?" she demanded in a low, guarded hiss, letting the freezing night air rush into the warm room. "What brings you here at such an hour?"
