The door cracks beneath my shoulder—splintering at the latch. I surge into the room, fangs bared, claws half-shifted, ready to kill.
There’s no intruder. It’s just her, frozen in front of the window. One arm is pressed against the fogged glass, the other clutching the fur blanket like a refuge.
She doesn’t turn when I enter.
“Saelûn?” I take a cautious step forward. “It’s me.Kai’morin.” (My heart.)
Her head tilts slightly, just enough that I can see her lips moving in silent repetition.
“What is it? What did you see?”
I follow her gaze to the window. There’s nothing outside—only snow and fog. I sniff deeply once—no trace of anyone but her.
“Lumi,” I whisper. “ There’s no one out there.”
Her voice cracks, “But he was. He said my name.”
My heart ceases its beating. “Who?”
She doesn’t answer. Just keeps her hand pressed to the window, as if whatever she saw on the other side might reach back.
She flinches when I wrap my arms around her.Thalûn ves kaelorin. Virael narh veskae. Skar’vesin nai’tharûn. (She recoils from what was meant to be hers. She fears my touch. The forest judges me unworthy.)
“I’ve got you,” I murmur. “He’s gone.You’re velorin ves’thral.” (Safe in my hold.)
“He’s not gone.” Her voice is hollow. “He never left.” Ammonia rises in her scent, thick with revulsion.
What happened in the few minutes I was downstairs?
“Saelûn…” I begin again, but she presses her palm flat against my chest.Raeth’kai tharûn’ves. Vel’morin kae’narh. Sae’kai narh veskae. Virethel narh kai’sûn(Even my ribs aredenied. What was mine by creation is lost. Her soul won't let me near. The thread pulls, but she pulls away.)
“I’m fine,” she lies. Her voice cracks halfway through. “I just need a second.”
My hands hover at her sides, struggling to let go. I want to keep her safe in my arms. Reluctantly, I release her.
“He said your name?” I ask.
She nods once, eyes locked on the glass. Her voice is barely audible: “He sounded like he was already inside.”
My stomach drops.
She lifts a trembling finger to the window. “There was a heart right here.”
I follow her gesture.
“But it’s gone now.”
Silence stretches between us. I hate it. I can feel her pulling away from me, closing the door from the inside out.
“I didn’t hear anything,” I admit. “And the runes should’ve?—”
“That’s the worst part,” she says, eyes meeting mine. “I don’t even know if it was real.” Her voice trembles on the last word. “But real or not, I can’t get his voice out of my head.”
I clench my jaw, turning just enough to scan the window one more time.
No scent. No trace. Nothing but mist and the faint cooling outline of her breath. But still… my claws burn. The runes hum in the back of my mind, quiet and untouched.
“If he were here,” I murmur more to myself than her, “he shouldn’t have been able to get inside.”
