The scent of crushed pine and damp earth fills the suite, a grounding aroma that has become the hallmark of our new life. Outside, the rhythmic, muffled thud of the integration school’s training grounds provides a steady heartbeat for the morning, but inside, the world is perfectly still.
I lie still, listening to the steady, rhythmic breathing of the man beside me. Kade is on his back, his right arm draped heavily over my waist. His face is relaxed in deep sleep, the harsh, silver-rimmed tension that used to define his features entirely gone. The shadows of the war have finally lifted from his face.
I shift slightly, wincing as a dull, familiar ache flares in my left shoulder. The nerve damage from shattering the illusion is healing, but the crisp morning air makes it stiff. I look down
