As soon as the door clicked shut, I let out a breath I hadn't realised I was holding. Myra's interruption had been innocent enough, but there was something undeniably humorous about the way she had poked her head in, like a curious kitten.
I turned to look at Aurelia, who was already smirking, eyes glinting with a mixture of amusement and something else something darker and more intense. The room felt warmer, the fire casting shadows that danced along the stone walls, and for a moment, I could hear nothing but the crackling of the flames and the sound of my own breathing.
"I'm staying," I had told Myra, and she had accepted it with her usual cheerfulness before quickly retreating. The instant the door closed behind her, Aurelia didn't hesitate. She was on me, pressing her lips against mine with a sudden, fierce hunger that took me by surprise.
