I brush my fingers down her jaw. She stirs but doesn’t wake. I want to leave her here to doze peacefully while I read a book in the pavilion behind her, but our guests would not find her sleeping in the gardens as charming as I do. There is something about her I do not wish to like, yet I’m drawn to the soft allure of how she looks amongst the gentle pastels of our castle garden. Cupping her cheek, I drag my thumb over the delicate skin beneath her eye. “Elora,” I whisper, “Open your eyes.”
