Chapter 27

• Jaxon
• I sat there in silence, on the edge of the chair beside her bed, letting the sound of her breathing ground me. Rhythmic, slow… peaceful. How long had it been since I sat still like this? Since I wasn’t preoccupied with political alliances, border patrols, or the demands of my title?
• Elvira shifted slightly in her sleep, her hair a dark halo against the pillow, one hand loosely curled over the sheets. Her presence was comforting even in sleep. I could feel her pulling at the part of me I had buried deep, the part I’d sealed off long before she ever came here.