-Sebastian Lightwood:
I woke slowly, wrapped in warmth so complete it took me a few seconds to remember where I was, how I got here, and what the source of this warmth was.
For a moment, I didn't move. I just lay there, breathing, feeling the steady rise and fall beneath my cheek and the soft weight resting against my side. The air was warm, the blankets tangled around us, the faint scent of skin and soap and something sweeter lingering in the sheets.
Then memory returned.
Not all at once. Not violently. It crept in, piece by piece, until it settled fully into place.
Both Elias and Aurelian were sleeping soundly in my arms all night, and just seconds ago, everything changed.
My chest tightened at the thought, but before I could fully follow it, Elias shifted beside me. His breathing wasn't slow and steady like sleep anymore. It was uneven.
Wrong.
The space between Elias and me was empty.
Cold.
