Holiday Bonus - The Binding Moon

The fire was dying.

Taryn sat closest, but the heat barely reached her. It never did, not really. She hadn't taken off her gloves, hadn't shifted from where she sat, staring at the slow, pulsing embers.

Kah'el stood by the window, arms folded, eyes fixed beyond the glass. Watching. Always watching.

Lucien was curled in his chair, one boot hooked over the other, silver gaze flickering between the fire and nothing at all.

None of them had spoken in a while.

Taryn rolled her shoulders, wincing slightly at the stiffness settled deep in her bones. She didn't know how long they'd been sitting there like this.

"Feels heavier than usual," she muttered.

Kah'el's gaze flicked toward her, but he didn't answer right away.

Lucien hummed. "That's because it is."

Taryn frowned, shifting to look between them. There was something about the way they were looking at her—like she was missing something.