Sleep was a lost cause tonight. I'd been tossing and turning, staring up at the ceiling with Aeliana's face burned into my mind her laughter, her eyes, the way she looked at me tonight. I couldn't even shut my eyes without seeing that coy smile.
Frustrated, I gave up and slipped out of bed, hoping a stroll outside would clear my head and burn off some of this damn energy. The cool night air would do me good, I told myself, pulling on a light coat as I headed out into the garden.
The breeze was crisp, the sky a deep, inky blue dotted with stars, the half-moon shining down like it was mocking me. Of course, it was a half-moon, the very thing that'd triggered this mess in the first place.
The garden had a calming effect, at least. I meandered along the winding paths, watching the way the moonlight cast shadows through the trees, the silence settling into a comfortable hum.
