Lyra had no idea how long she'd slept. The weight of exhaustion had claimed her completely. But as she stirred awake, the first thing she noticed was the golden sunlight spilling through the tall windows—and the second, that Casian was already awake.
He sat propped against the headboard, his broad shoulders relaxed, his gaze steady and quietly intense as it rested on her.
"You didn't sleep… did you?" she asked groggily, pushing herself up, still thick with the haze of rest.
Casian turned toward her, and a faint smile ghosted over his lips at the sight of her tousled hair and drowsy pout. She looked like a dream he didn't want to wake from.
"I was watching over you," he said simply.
Lyra blinked, not expecting such honesty.
"I told you I'd rest once you did. But when you finally drifted off…" He paused, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "I didn't want to miss it. Not after everything that's happened."
