567 Choices - Part 5

LERRIN

Two days later, Lerrin woke early in the morning, blinking into the pink light casting beams of warn sunlight across the floor of the tree, and glittering on dust motes in the air. For a  moment, before he moved, he found himself at peace, and he had to examine his surroundings to understand why. There was no sound, and no intrusion from outside the tree. But there was a very, very beautiful smell.

Bracing, he rolled over—slowly. Very slowly. Wincing against pain—to find Suhle still curled on the blanket behind him.

He blinked, then smiled.

The Guards hadn't made her leave in the night.

With the exception of the afternoon she'd gone to speak with Reth, Suhle had spent almost every hour of the day with him since the night of his attack. But before, the guards had always insisted that she leave late in the evening, when their shift was changing.