Talia's POV
A wry grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he drank in my startled doe-in-headlights expression. "Though maybe astronomy isn't quite your strong suit from the looks of it."
I glowered at him, hating the skittish thrill snaking through me at his unexpected presence. "You some kind of creep who gets off on sneaking up on women in the dark?"
Julian's grin widened as he chuckled low in his throat. "Just wanted to make sure our esteemed guest isn't wandering off into parts of the castle best left unexplored." His eyes glinted with a sort of dark amusement. "Self-preservation is pretty high up there on my list of hobbies, personally."
Was he...flirting? My pulse hammered in my ears as Julian pushed himself off from the door frame and prowled over to lean against the balustrade beside me. Even with his catlike grace, there was something distinctly predatory about the fluidity of his motions.
