Caelynn
Iwait next to thewindow for hours, but Raven never comes.
I bite my lip, watching the sunset and listening to the sounds of the elaborate celebration below. The Shadow Court is the liveliest of all, and I notice several of the other lesser courts joining them. But I do not.
There is not one part of me that wants to take part in a celebration. Not tonight. Not ever.
I allow myself a long bath, after which I cannot hold myself back from sleep any longer. I know Raven is mad at me. She told me something she never had before. Something that I know shouldn’t have surprised me.
I love you.
They are words I haven’t heard since I was a child. Words I couldn’t give back to her. Not now, not like this. Not when every attachment I make puts her further at risk.
Not when my emotions about Reveln are so messed up.
But that’s more reason for Raven to be mad. She doesn’t know that Reveln is my mate, and I don’t intend for her to find out. But she does know I have conflicting feelings for him. She knows there is tension between us that’s not all bad.
All I know is that I wish she were here. I wish I hadn’t told her I shouldn’t have brought her here—even if it’s true. Because now, more than ever, I need her comfort.
The only place she’s safe is in my arms.
And now, she won’t even come to me.
I pray Raven is okay and that she’ll make it to me soon, but all too quickly my brain and body shut down, exhaustion winning out. For the next several hours, I am dead to the world.
