The days had slipped through my fingers like grains of sand, each one hastening Lydia's arrival. In a bid for some semblance of control, I had chosen a room for her at the far end of the castle a small comfort, knowing the distance that would lie between us.
But tonight, of all nights, she was to come to my room. The thought alone was enough to unsettle me, to distract me from the task at hand.
"Aurelia," called a voice, snapping me back to the present. I blinked, realizing I had been staring blankly at the demon soldiers arrayed before me. "Oh, sorry," I muttered, bending to retrieve my sword from the ground.
Its weight was familiar in my hand, a grounding presence. I looked up at the soldiers, clearing my throat.
"What was I talking about?" I asked, though I knew the answer.
