“No need,” I said. “I’ll walk through Stellara.”
“No,” he growled. Across the room, his eyes burned into mine. There was no mistaking the order in his voice—he expected to be obeyed. “Wait on the terrace.”
Exhaustion was beginning to pull at the edges of my mind. It had been a long day already. From Kythel’s keep, it might take me an hour or more until I reached the cottage on foot. It could wait until tomorrow night.
“All right,” I submitted, backing out from the room. “I’ll return the book soon. I promise. Good night,Kyzaire.”
But I didn’t wait to hear his response.
The moment I was beyond the threshold of the library, I closed the doors behind me.
Then I fled.
Only when I was outside, sucking in lungfuls of cold air to soothe the burning in my chest, did I realize that I’d never been afraid of a Kylorr before.
Not that I was frightened that Kythel wouldhurtme if he fed from me.
I was afraid that I would like it more than I should.
CHAPTER13
MILLIE
After Kythel’s keeper—a tight-lipped, stoic female who looked like she’d been woken from a deep sleep—dropped me back off at RaanaDyaan, I entered the dark and quiet building, creeping up the stairs to my room.
I stilled when I saw a warm glow emanating from underneath my door. Frowning, I pushed it open, peering inside, wondering if I’d accidentally left on the glow orb.
There was a figure perched on the edge of my bed with familiar parchment in their hands.
Grace was reading my father’s letters.
A surge of panic and angry disbelief propelled me forward. “What are you doing?”
“Who’s Ruaala?” she asked, her voice soft, not looking up. “And Joss?”
Taking care not to rip the letter, I tugged it from her grip, trying my best to gather up the others lying strewn across the bed, while keeping a firm grasp on the book Kythel had given me.
My throat was tight. I couldn’t stand the thought ofanyonetouching these letters. What if something happened to them? To evenone? Even losing a single letter would be like losing another piece of him.
“You can’t just come into my room and snoop through my things!”
“Millie, I—I’m sorry,” Grace said, standing, biting her lip. Uncertain. “I was waiting for you. I saw them on your desk. I didn’t mean to read them—I just…I couldn’t stop. I’m sorry.”
She means it,I thought, finding her apology to be genuine. I’d heard a lot of hollow apologies throughout the years, after all. Besides, Grace was my friend. One of my only friends in Erzos, though the tension between us since I’d discovered her with Vraad in the giver rooms had been prickly.
Depositing Kythel’s book onto the small table in the corner, I was mindful of my thumb—though the bleeding had stopped already—as I gathered the letters into a neat stack. They were out of order. I would correct them later. The important thing was that the onlyunopenedletter of the stack was still sealed. My father’s last letter to me, the one I had yet to open.
Taking a deep breath, I placed them gingerly next to the book and turned to face Grace. She was taller than me, long and willowy, her deep red hair looking beautifully and effortlessly mussed in a pretty braid.
“Millie, I’m sorry,” she said again.
I tucked a strand of my short hair behind my ear as I rushed out, “I know. I’m sorry I snapped at you.”
“You forgive me for snooping?” she asked, her pink lips quirking hopefully.
My shoulders sagged. “Yes. Of course.”
She smiled. She reached forward to take my hand, squeezing it before I could stop her, and I winced when she pressed on my thumb.
