The weight of the past few hours clung to my skin like a second layer. My muscles coiled, my mind a battlefield of thoughts, none of which brought me peace. I entered my chambers, the heavy wooden doors creaking as I shut them behind me. The cold air of Avador seeped into the walls, but it wasn't nearly as frigid as the silence pressing down on me.
I dragged a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. Iris hadn't spared me a glance. And when she finally did, it was filled with disappointment or something even worse. And I had let her walk away, watched her disappear behind those grand palace doors, her spine straight, her presence commanding even as she avoided mine.
The moment I stepped into my chambers, I felt the weight settle on my shoulders again. The ride back had been long, my mind occupied by nothing but her—everything that had happened, It gnawed at me, an ache so deep it burned.