The first sliver of sunlight touched her eyelids, and Eiravyne stirred, blinking against the sudden brightness.
Slowly, she became aware of the emptiness beside her.
Her heart lurched.
She bolted upright, blankets tangling around her legs.
"Urag?" Her voice cracked, small and sharp in the quiet room.
Nothing.
The faint scent of him lingered.
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, hands gripping the sheets as if they could tether him there.
Panic clawed at her chest.
He couldn't have just… left. Could he?
Her eyes scanned the room in a frantic arc: the doorway, the window, the chair where he sometimes lingered. No sign of him.
Eiravyne's bare feet padded softly against the cool floor as she made her way toward his study, the hem of her nightgown brushing her knees.
Her heart still thudded from waking up alone.
She paused at the door, taking a steadying breath, and then pushed it open abruptly.
