The warmth that had lingered beside her was gone.
Elysia stirred, her consciousness tugged from the edges of sleep as a quiet, inexplicable emptiness settled over her. It was subtle—just the faintest difference in the air, a shift in the energy of the room—but it was enough to make her aware that she was alone.
She blinked her eyes open, adjusting to the dim glow of the enchanted sconces still flickering along the walls.
Malvoria was gone.
Not that Elysia had expected her to stay.
And yet—
She exhaled, rolling onto her side, pressing her palm lightly against the mattress where Malvoria had been. It was still faintly warm. How long ago had she left? Minutes? Maybe even less?
It shouldn't have mattered.
It didn't matter.
