15. The Walls Between
15
The Walls Between
W hen Astoria woke up the next morning, her eyes went immediately to the interconnecting door. Heat rushed to her cheeks as memories of the previous night surfaced. She sealed them off in her mind. She didn’t want to remember. If possible, she wanted to tuck it away in a corner of her mind.
From then on, Astoria withdrew into herself and avoided Cyrus. But try as she might, she couldn’t help the way her heart raced or her stomach flipped pleasantly each time she saw him. Then, the memories from the night of the coronation would flood back.
She wasn’t sure what the most embarrassing moment of her life was anymore. Him besting her in front of her kingdom or the intimate moment they had that night.
Cyrus tried to reach out to her several times, but Astoria kept pulling away. Every time he asked her to have lunch with him, she had an excuse. The only time he managed to keep her at his side was during the court meetings, but right after they adjourned, she managed to slip away from him.
Even on Shabbat, when he had nothing to do but rest, she excused herself every time he invited her to join him. But she did spend some of her time with Rowan. He turned out to be a pleasant person to be around, and eventually, they became good friends.
Usually, men couldn’t befriend her, but something about Rowan reminded her of her brothers, and he won her over in no time. Who knows, perhaps it was her desperation for a friend—other than Skylar and one who wasn’t her husband—that led her to find one in Rowan this soon.
If Cyrus noticed, he said nothing and made no attempt to stop them. But she didn’t miss the silent glares he sent Rowan over dinner whenever Rowan cracked dumb jokes that made her laugh. Worse still, her heart betrayed her, fluttering treacherously at her husband’s unspoken jealousy.
Then, she would feel the need to remind herself that her husband had humiliated her in front of her entire kingdom with his street performer disguise to win her hand. The Unyielding Princess of Daliston bested in her own duel by a mere street performer. Astoria held onto that. It made it easy for her to harbor hatred towards him despite his change of attitude towards her—even though the humiliation of it had worn off with the entire continent learning about her and Cyrus’ dramatic union.
Days passed by.
Today was a cloudy day. Astoria heard the rumble of thunder in the air as she relaxed in the pool in the washroom.
A knock sounded at the door.
She turned and frowned. Emily had gone to select a gown for her, and she never knocked before coming in.
Then she realized—the knocking came from the other door.
Her heart raced. She cast a pleading glance at the door to her room, hoping Emily would come and answer him instead of her.
The knock sounded again. “Astoria, are you in there?”
Would it be wise to stay silent? What if he entered, thinking she wasn’t inside?
“Yes.” Her voice squeaked. She cleared her throat and called back, “Yes, what is it?”
“I forgot my signet in there, on the dresser.”
“Emily is not here.”
“That’s alright. If you are decent, I can come in and take it myself.”
Her heart galloped like a wild horse. “No!”
“No?” She imagined him raising an eyebrow. “I need my signet, Astoria. Would you rather come to the door and give it to me?”
“I am in the pool. I cannot.”
“Then I am coming in.”
Astoria looked around in panic; she didn’t want him to see her in this state. She didn’t know how to cast an illusion, nor could she lock the door to stop him because he would unlock it. So she did the one thing that would hide her from him.
“Fine, then! Come in!” she called out and took a deep breath, and ducked underwater when the knob turned. She counted the seconds, reconsidering her action when she realized she couldn’t hold her breath much longer. She didn’t know how to use her powers to breathe underwater either. She should’ve simply thrown up an ice wall around the pool instead.
When she couldn’t stay underwater any longer, Astoria pushed herself up to the surface, gasping for air. Cyrus’ voice reached her ears immediately, as though he had been shouting at her the entire time.
“… mad, woman?”
Astoria ran her hands over her face and her hair before turning towards his voice. She was startled to see him crouched by the pool, his eyes narrowed but filled with alarm.
“Get your signet and get out!” She narrowed her eyes right back, turning her back to him. Her face burned.
“Did you really have to drown yourself—”
“I wasn’t drowning myself, alright?” she snapped. “It’s called privacy.”
“I’m your husband, for goodness’ sake,” he said, his voice tinted with frustration.
“So what? That title doesn’t permit you to look at me when I don’t want you to.”
Cyrus mumbled something like she was the most impossible woman he had known. He got to his feet and stormed out of the room. At the sound of the door slamming shut, Astoria turned and released the breath she had been holding.
She covered her face and groaned into her hands. Why? Why did she have to have so many embarrassing moments around him? Ever since the moment he stepped into her life, she had been nothing but embarrassed. And she was tired of it.
Not waiting for Emily to return, she cast an ice wall around the pool and climbed out of the water. She reached for the bathrobe and tied it around her. Drying her hair furiously, she stormed into her room and told a surprised-looking Emily to help her dress.
When she was ready, she sat at her desk and wrote a furious letter to Emmett. Halfway through it, she calmed down and listened to the rhythm of the rain, her handwriting now smoother than before. This was what she had been doing lately—writing to Emmett, but never sending any letters to him. It helped her stay sane. But today, she felt the need to update him about what had been going on with her.
That was how she ended up in the palace courtyard late that evening, marching towards the gates in the rain, a shield cast above her. She wasn’t going to depend on Cyrus this time.
The guards in the gatehouse saw her and began murmuring to each other, their bafflement obvious. She approached them with the authority of the Empress.
“Open the gates, please!”
The men exchanged glances, and one of them called back, “I’m afraid we cannot, Your Majesty!”
“Oh, is it because I said please ?” She gave them a stern look. “If so, for future reference, don’t take my politeness as a mere request. That wasn’t a request.”
“But, Your Majesty, we are under strict orders from His Majesty to not open the gates—for you.”
She knew that. But it was worth a try. She wasn’t trying to run away, after all. Astoria didn’t know how long she stood there, arguing with the helpless guard, until Cyrus’ firm voice cut through the rain’s clatter.
“Astoria!”
She turned to him, heart beating fast, but not with fear. He looked extremely annoyed. She put on a nonchalant expression and clasped her hands in front of her, lifting her chin slightly.
At first, she didn’t notice it. Then she saw the way the front locks of his hair slicked to his forehead.
“Are you out of your mind?” he called out to her.
Oh, that question should have been reserved for him rather than her!
“Are you out of your mind, coming after me and getting drenched in the rain when you could cast a shield over your stupid head with a flick of your wrist?”
“Forgive me for my frenzy when I was informed my wife is out in the rain, at the gates, asking to be let out!” Cyrus glared as he approached her. The man had no care in the world. He was drenched to the bone in the downpour. “You’re not going anywhere!”
“I am, and you are going to let me!”
“Astoria…” he called her in a warning tone.
“What? Are you going to threaten me again about sending your troops to my kingdom?”
“First, this is your kingdom—your empire.” Annoyance flashed in his eyes. “And second, why are you so stubborn?”
“Why are you so stubborn?” she shot back, stepping towards him. “You are not even bothering to ask me why I am asking to open the gates! I want to step out of the castle walls for a moment. Is that too much?”
“Depends. Why do you want to step out? And amidst a downpour!”
“Because I want to send a letter to my brother! Satisfied?”
Cyrus staggered back a little, the look in his eyes wild and disbelieving. “And you couldn’t come to me for it? Ask me to send it?”
Astoria huffed and crossed her arms. “Like I ever trusted you. I don’t even think you sent him my last letter.”
Cyrus’ eyes darkened. “You are not leaving the palace walls, and you are not sending him another letter again!” He turned and stormed back to the castle.
Astoria’s resolve broke. “Why are you doing this to me?” she called after him, her voice rising with a whirlwind of emotions. He didn’t respond. “Answer me!”
He kept stomping towards the castle. But Astoria wasn’t going to let him get away without answering her. She ran after him.
“Stop!”
He didn’t.
“I said, stop!”
He might as well be deaf.
“Cyrus!”
Cyrus came to an abrupt stop as though his feet were suddenly glued to the ground. Astoria panted to catch her breath and realized her slip. Her eyes widened.
At least it made him stop.
“Don’t even think for a second that I have no right to yell at you and be rebellious. You are the one who stripped me of my world, my family, and the one person who was my anchor in life—my brother! Do you realize what you have done to me by separating us? No, you don’t. You can’t. Because you don’t have a sibling—funny, I don’t even know if you have one. I don’t know a thing about you—my so-called husband.”
She sneered at the back of his head.
“Oh, so this is my fault now? That you don’t know anything about me?” Cyrus turned to face her, a glare in his eyes. “ You are the one pushing me away every time I reach out to you.”
“Can you blame me? You ruined my life. You deceived me, lied to me, and kidnapped me! I’m married to a monster!”
Cyrus stood unfazed by her insult, but a fire blazed in his eyes. “Yes, I admit I did all that. But what have I done to you that makes you render me a monster ? I made you a garden that you haven’t set foot in; I didn’t complain about the colour change in my room; I changed the black in every room you use when I realized you didn’t like it. Darn it, I even let you change the colour of my flag! Yes, I was harsh towards you at first, but which of these makes me the monster you claim I am, Astoria? Tell me, I want to know! And—don’t even think of mentioning my invasions here. I am asking what monstrous thing I have done to you , my wife, since the day I brought you here.”
For a moment, Astoria was speechless at his outburst. Then she said, “For instance, you are refusing to let me write to my brother—as in, right now.”
Cyrus lifted his eyes to the sky as though praying for patience. He looked down at her. “For goodness’ sake, I only stopped you from sending a letter to him by yourself , which requires you to step out of the castle walls.”
“And now you won’t ever let me send him one because I tried to double-cross you.” She dared him to deny it.
He didn’t. “Yes.”
Tears attacked her eyes. Her emotions spiraled tenfold. “See, this is why I said you won’t understand. I don’t know if you have a sibling—I don’t care! But I have a brother back home who is worried sick about me. He—he’s the one who has taken care of me as long as I can remember, the one who has been my father figure more than my father ever was. I even despised the very idea of getting married because I hated being separated from him—which is exactly what you, my enemy, have done to me. Did you know that my brother sent me a departing gift that would help me not miss him too much? Because he knew I would, and he gave me his signature perfume that always reminded me of home. He wanted me to have it, hoping it would help me, telling me in his letter to tease him about it if he succeeded in accompanying me. Since he didn’t, I’ve been clinging to his gift like it’s my lifeline. And I can only hold on to that a little longer before I start to fall apart from my desperation to smooth over his worry and from missing him like crazy!”
Astoria paused for breath and realized she had said things she hadn’t intended to say. And there was no taking back the flood that broke out of her. She squeezed her eyes shut. She could only hope she didn’t regret this later.
When she opened her eyes, the look on Cyrus’ face startled her. He looked taken aback, but the expression was a gentle one that made her avert her eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” His question was soft.
Astoria wanted to scoff, but she had no strength left. “Like that would have made any difference.”
“It just did, now, and you wouldn’t have known unless you told me.” He sighed. “Astoria…”
“I don’t want your pity,” she said sternly, meeting his eyes. “I’m not weak because I relied on my brother or fragile just because I—”
“I didn’t say you are.” He sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. He pulled it back immediately and flicked his wrist, casting a shield, as though he hadn’t been aware of the rain until now. He met her eyes, the gentleness in them making her both angry and fluttery inside. “I will send the letter to your brother any time you wish; you have my word. But please, I request you not to try to leave the castle gates again—not that my men would allow that. Now, I need to dry off. If you meet me in my study in half an hour, I’ll be ready.”
With that and a lingering gaze, he turned and jogged back into the castle, leaving Astoria in the middle of the courtyard, lightning-struck as she stared after him.
It took her more than half an hour and dinner in her room to beat down her pride and bang on the door of his study.
“Come in,” Cyrus called out.
She entered and closed the door behind her. Cyrus rose from his seat and came around the large desk towards her, the shadow of a smile on his face. He gestured towards the sofa by the right wall and said, “Let’s sit down.”
Astoria followed him to the sofa and sat down, leaving more than enough space between them. He lent a hand for her letter, and she passed it to him. He closed his eyes, concentrating.
Astoria ignored the way her heart raced and focused on the letter in his hand, trying hard not to stare at his face like she had before. When the letter vanished, Cyrus opened his eyes and assessed her with a smile in them.
“Thank you for trusting me,” he said.
Astoria rolled her eyes. “You gave me no other choice.”
He gave her a fond look. “Now, what would you like to know about me first?”
Astoria fixed him with an incredulous gaze before shaking her head. “Oh, I’m not doing this.” She stood. “I just wanted to—”
He caught her by the hand. “Astra, please.”
Astoria froze. He hadn’t called her that since their wedding night.
“I know we started really rough. But it doesn’t have to be that way all the time,” he continued, his voice frighteningly sincere. He gave her hand a soft tug, but she didn’t turn, nor did she pull away. “You see, I’ve been nagged by Clara and the court about getting married for a long time. I knew I needed an heir, but I didn’t want to get married any sooner, not until I was thirty. Then I heard about the princess who challenges her suitors in a duel to win her hand. I must say, I’ve never heard anything like that before. Suitors challenging each other for the princess’ hand? Yes. But the princess challenging her suitors? Absolutely not. I was impressed.” He chuckled fondly, and she felt him shake his head.
The warmth from the night of her coronation stirred in her heart. Astoria knew that was her cue to stop him, but strangely, she wanted to know what he had to say.
“Rowan teased that a woman who challenges me would suit me best, but that was just it—a tease, a joke. Until news reached me that the duel wasn’t just any duel but a magical one. That you were a Mage. Now, I have the history of every royal line across the continent, but none of them mentioned the Daliston royals having a Mage in their family. I assumed maybe your mother was one, but that was until I learned you were the only one in the family born with magic.
“To be honest, I spent a lot of my time trying to uncover your mystery, especially after I learned that you were the secret weapon of the rebels. But I couldn’t figure anything out. And you remain my mystery. Then I began to plan ways to stop you and the rebels. Rowan suggested I should marry you by attending the tournament under the disguise of a nobleman from one of the unconquered kingdoms. I thought it was ridiculous, but he told me it was the only way I could outsmart the rebels. I was still unwilling until I heard your father was inviting even the poorest of the unconquered kingdoms to fight for your hand. I realized how desperate the rebels were, and your father only made it more obvious, so I knew it was my cue.
“So, I disguised myself as a street performer, made up a brilliant cover story, and came to Daliston through my portal in the Husk Woods. I had to make it look real; going directly to the castle and declaring myself willing to duel with the princess seemed unwise. So, I made quite the show in the capital square. Your father’s men saw me and brought me immediately to the palace—saving me the trouble of going through with my pretense for more than a day.
“The rest, of course, you know. But in case you wondered how I’m able to produce magic like you—even more than you; the illusion, for example—this is something I don’t tell everyone. But you are my wife, and I want you to know it.” He paused to sigh. “I am no rare gem, Astra. I am a Pureblood—a Pureblood Mage from Windlewade.”
That finally had Astoria turn and face him. He had better be jesting!
“I’m not jesting, darling,” he said, as though reading her mind. His expression was so sincere she found herself slowly believing it. He tugged at her hand, which he hadn’t let go of. “Sit down; this is a long story.”
Astoria sat down. This was something she couldn’t miss out on, even for her pride.
Cyrus withdrew his hand reluctantly. “I didn’t lie when I said I have a father and a brother. They are in Windlewade; although my father’s sickness was a lie. The last time I checked, he was healthy. He is… he is the High King of Windlewade.”
Astoria stared at him in astonishment. “So you are…”
He gave her a tiny, sly smile. “Not exactly what you think I am, trust me. I am a prince because my father is the king, but I’m his illegitimate son.”
“Oh.”
“Quite unexpected, isn’t it?”
“Well, I didn’t know what to expect of your heritage, so I think I’m not that shocked—but a Pureblood from Windlewade? I thought your arrogant ancestor closed the portal between our realms.”
“ Ouch . Not even my ancestor deep in his grave is spared from your insult,” he teased with a smile. “But yes, that’s true. He closed the portal, and the key was passed down to the heirs for generations. Now my father has it. I didn’t know he had it until—well, I’ll start from the beginning.
“My mother was a gardener at the High King’s palace when my grandfather was the king. Father fell in love with her. Someone tipped them off, and the king dismissed my mother from her duty and sent her far away. Father was wrecked, but he had no power against the king’s decision. So he went looking for her. But when the king found out, he forced my father into an arranged marriage with a princess from one of the High Courts. She bore my older half-brother, Joaquin.
“Father was still looking for Mother, scouring the kingdom under the disguise of hunting. And two years later, he found her, gathering sticks in the woods. They threw caution to the wind, and I was the result. When Mother found out she was pregnant, she sent news to my father.
“Mother was an orphan, living alone in a cottage near the woods where the king banished her. Father sent her a trusted maid from the palace and took care of her every need, even after I was born. He visited me a couple of times; none of them I remember because I was little then, until my grandfather passed away and my father became the High King. He brought Mother back to her duty in the palace because it was the only way he could keep us close to him. I saw my father almost every day from then on. It became all easier when Joaquin and I crossed paths one day and he asked me to play with him. We became the best of friends soon after that. His mother wasn’t pleased with our friendship, but Joaquin somehow convinced her to let him keep me.
“Everything went well for the next few years, until one day. My mother went missing.” Cyrus’ eyes hardened.
Astoria’s breath hitched. “What happened?”
“I still don’t know,” he said slowly, averting his eyes from her. “I haven’t seen her since.”
“I—I don’t understand.”
“I mean, I know how it happened, but not what happened to my mother,” he explained darkly. “It was my stepmother. She found out the truth about me and my mother.”
“How?” she asked carefully. He looked a little scary with that dark look in his eyes if she had to admit it.
“Someone found my parents together and informed the queen. She exacted her revenge on Father by stealing the key to the portal and sending my mother to the human realm. She admitted herself after doing so. She wanted to get rid of me too, but my father said he was keeping me whether she or his entire court liked it or not. Joaquin was shocked when he realized we were half-brothers. He didn’t talk to me for days after learning I knew it all along but didn’t tell him.
“Father was utterly devastated because the law bound him to never leave the mage realm, thanks to my ‘arrogant’ ancestor who locked the portal all those centuries ago. He wanted to find Mother if it was the last thing he did. She was pregnant.”
Astoria let out a sharp gasp.
“So Father appointed his friend, General Sean, for the task. General Sean went in and out of the portal for days, weeks, and months, but there was no trace of Mother. Eventually, the man found love with a non-mage woman and brought her to Windlewade with special permission from my father and married her.
“There were even times I thought the general didn’t take his job seriously. Then, years later, I happened upon a seer. She said—” He swallowed and cleared his throat. “She said my heart’s desire is in the human realm and that she sees me with the tender-aged version of my mother; my little sister. That was all I needed. I approached Father and told him I wanted to go and find my mother and my sister myself. He was hesitant; he didn’t want to lose me too, but I insisted. So he gave me the key. That’s how I came to the human realm.”
“And…?” Astoria dreaded his answer.
Cyrus let out a cold laugh that sounded like he was mocking himself. “And it has been ten— ten years!—and they are still lost. I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find someone in an entire realm where they could be anywhere . At last, I asked myself, what am I even doing? Three years later, I decided to give up. There was no point. And I definitely didn’t want to go back to Windlewade. So I settled here, on the streets of this very city when King Biba was ruling—until dear old Clara took me in. I used to help her carry her things from the market, and we grew close eventually. When she learned I was essentially an orphan, she asked me to stay under her roof since she had no family.
“Clara worked in the palace. During my visits with her, my paths crossed with Rowan. He was the crown prince’s squire then. We weren’t exactly friends, but merely acquaintances. It was only after I overthrew the royal family and usurped the throne that we had closer interactions. I made him my manservant at first, but when I realized he had too much brains to be wasted in such a position, I made him my right-hand man.
“And that, my Astra, is the story of my life.” He finished with a small smile.
But Astoria had so many questions. “Exactly how did you overthrow the royal family?”
“As simple as batting away an annoying fly,” he replied, stretching his arms on either side of the sofa’s headrest.
Astoria leaned away from his reach, eyeing his hand that hung nearby. “And what made you want to bat them away?”
“Because they were annoying—if that’s even the right word.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
“What did they do to annoy you?”
“Apparently, everything.” He cracked open an eye to glance at her sideways before closing it again. “Their taxes were heavy, too heavy on people. They turned a blind eye to their own farmers and preferred the exports from the neighboring kingdoms instead. The king and his nobles worked their servants day and night, seven days a week without a rest. The king was a greedy man; the crown prince was nasty—he even used to harm Rowan—so much so the people began to use their names as a curse. Someone had to stop them and put things right; someone had to care for the people. It wasn’t until King Biba ordered Clara to receive a whiplash for tripping and splashing stew on him at a banquet that my resolve broke. All I saw was red. And I struck. I didn’t stop until I sat on the throne, placed the crown on my head, and made myself the king.”
And he said this like all he did was bat away an annoying fly that buzzed in his ear—as casually as that. Astoria gaped at him in horror. “And the royal family?” she asked slowly, a slight tremor in her voice. Though she knew the answer, she had to ask, “What did you do to them?”
“I captured them all and handed them over to Rowan. I didn’t care what happened to them as long as they never returned.”
But that wasn’t how she had heard it. “And Rowan… killed them?”
Cyrus chuckled darkly, his eyes still closed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he did, but no. He brought them to the farthest end of the kingdom, stripped them of their riches, and left them there. No better punishment in my opinion.” He snuck another glance at her. “You thought I killed them, didn’t you? I’m well aware of the tales woven in the unconquered kingdoms about me. I must say, you have creative storytellers there.”
Her mouth hung open. “Are you denying that you didn’t —?”
He straightened and turned to face her, his expression now sober. “Astoria, if you think I built my empire with bloodshed, everything you’ve ever heard about me—perhaps except the extent of my powers—is a lie. No, darling, I conquered through fear alone.”
That, she could believe. Kings trembled at the mention of his name, including her father.
“When I go for a conquest, I don’t even bring my men with me like the people in the unconquered kingdoms like to think. I go alone. I fight alone. I conquer alone ,” he emphasized the last word. “There’s no one in the human realm with powers that rival mine. How else do you think I built my empire in eleven kingdoms in only five years? I don’t know if you’d believe me on this or not, but after my first few conquests and I went to the next kingdom, the people cheered at the sight of me. They hollered when the palace came down in debris—though it was only an illusion to scare the king and his men into pledging their service to me when they refused it.
“Illusions are terrific. You can show your enemy anything you want, to bring them to their knees, to plant the seed of fear in their hearts to never defy you. It has worked for me brilliantly so far. Thus, you can find the empire of Draken at least ten times better than the unconquered kingdoms. I care for my people; they are well-fed, looked after, and justly served. But in all I have done, I would never dare take the glory on my own. It was the Creator giving His people justice against tyrants. I was merely His vessel.”
Astoria’s horror burst out of her. “The Creator? You are claiming the Creator is on your side?”
“Are you not listening to me, Astra? All these rulers, they never cared about their people. My invasion was the Creator’s justice on them. The people have been oppressed enough, and He sent me to save them. I must admit, the only reason the entire continent isn’t Draken yet is that the seven kingdoms in the south aren’t bad to their people. I have spies in each one of them. The moment I’m informed of a king’s wrong move against his people, I will strike him down—including your father.”
“So you are saying that they were never invasions, but… salvation?” she challenged, locking her eyes with his.
Cyrus held her gaze with all his intensity. “Yes.”
Astoria shook her head to herself and leaned back on the sofa, crossing her arms, disbelief pouring out of her. So everything she’d heard for the last six years about his cruelty, brashness, and merciless murders was a lie?
She didn’t believe him. She didn’t want to, but then she remembered the coronation day, the way people had looked at him with joy and respect, and how they’d blessed him. Even if she tried to convince herself that that had been an illusion, she couldn’t mistake the respect he had from all the staff in the palace. From the stable hands to the commander of the army, they all loved him.
Astoria didn’t realize how long they sat like that, in silence; her absorbing his explanations and him—well, she was too busy with her thoughts to mind him. When she did turn to look at him, she found his eyes already on her.
Warm. Gentle. Adoring.
Her heart skipped a beat, but she pressed on with her question. “Why are you telling me all this? And your past? No one like you would want to expose the lowest point of their life to someone like me.”
“I’m not ashamed of my past,” he said without hesitation. “It molded me into the person I am. Besides, you are my wife. Clara and Rowan are the only others who know my story. I wanted you to know it, too.”
His midnight eyes bored into hers. Astoria looked away, his words strangely overwhelming.
She stood quickly. “Well, it’s getting late. I should go to bed.”
“I’ll escort you.” Astoria opened her mouth to protest, but Cyrus cut her off, standing. “I’m calling it a night, too.”
She accepted his offered arm, having no other choice, and they walked towards their chambers in silence. Cyrus stopped them in front of her room and Astoria dropped her hand from him.
“Goodnight, Little Dragon. Dream of me.”
Astoria turned to him. Seeing the small smile on his lips, a smile pulled at her own before she could stop it. “Bad night, Big Dragon. Dream of… nothing . Have a dreamless sleep.”
She stepped inside and closed the door in his face.
Cyrus chuckled, the sound of his laugh reaching her through the door and to her heart.