Briana lay in the hushed confines of her bedroom, her gaze tracing the patterns of shadows cast upon the ceiling. Time seemed to slip away unnoticed, hours melting into each other, until her eyes shifted toward the slumbering figure beside her.
Simon, Gavriel's loyal steward, lay there, lost in peaceful repose, his face nestled into her pillow. As she curled around him on the mattress, his arm cradled her waist like a protective shield. The tranquil aura that enveloped him was striking.
In the stillness of the night, a soft, mirthful laugh escaped Briana's lips, a fragile sound that hung in the air like gossamer threads. "Sleeping with Gavriel's steward just to unravel him..." Her voice held a hint of irony, her lips forming a thin line as her thoughts danced on a razor's edge.
