The room was still ringing with the aftermath of violence.
Dust drifted slowly through the air. Somewhere behind them, the man groaned weakly against the shattered wall but Lyra barely registered it.
All she could feel was him.
Kaelen's arms were locked around her, firm and steady, anchoring her upright. One hand was braced at her lower back, the other curled protectively at her side, as if his body had decided on its own that she belonged there.
Lyra's breath came in shallow gasps.
She was pressed close enough to feel the rise and fall of his chest, the heat radiating off his skin, the tension coiled beneath it like something barely leashed.
Slowly, she lifted her head and her eyes met his.
The moment stretched and Kaelen froze.
Not because of the threat behind them, not because of the curse snarling beneath his skin but because her eyes were on him.
