Book 5: Changes

Ingrid

By the time we roll off each other and don’t just reach for each other again, dawn is reaching hungry fingers through the window. Amval falls right to sleep, snoring slightly. I stare at him.

I can only see Sash, peeking through the eye slit in his star-patterned veil. My stomach churns.

He was lonely, I remind myself. And grieving, and he needed someone, and I was the only one he could have.

And none of that means I had to sleep with him again. I’ve comforted a number of people in my life with all my clothes on.

I roll out of bed. No matter what he thinks, this doesn’t change… much of anything between us. But if he wakes up, and I’m still here, I honestly wouldn’t blame him for assuming it did. I have to go.

I gather up my clothes, cursing under my breath when I find my ruined bodice. A few maid uniforms still hang in the closet here, so I slide one on, then pull my not-ruined skirt over it, so at least anyone who sees me