For a rare moment, the room had fallen into something resembling peace. Kiara was curled up in her chair, thumb gliding lazily across the screen as reels played one after another, each burst of sound spilling out in quick snatches before being replaced by the next. Her eyes sparkled faintly, caught in that careless glow of entertainment that reels always brought, while her lips curved unconsciously into small, fleeting smiles that had nothing to do with Ruaan.

Beside her, Ruaan had surrendered to exhaustion. His long frame was slouched against the cupboard, head tilted slightly to one side, lashes low, fighting a battle against sleep he was about to lose. His breaths had grown slower, deeper, that delicate rhythm which said the body had almost given up. His shoulders sagged, one arm draped across his lap, the other loosely against the cupboard. He was moments away from slipping into unconsciousness—