Drake
Kael didn’t rush to leave after dinner.
That probably shouldn’t have felt as significant as it did, but considering the man reacted to emotional vulnerability the way most people reacted to active house fires, I was counting it as progress.
The night air drifted cool across the patio while lantern light flickered softly against the stone railings around us. Somewhere off in the woods across the grounds, sounds of the forest drifted toward us, blending with the distant sounds of guards changing shifts somewhere deeper in the castle grounds.
Kael leaned back slightly in his chair after finishing most of his food, one arm resting across his stomach while the other stayed draped lazily over the armrest.
Relaxed probably wasn’t the right word.
But less guarded?
Definitely.
And hon
