I stumble into the only open space in my room, but my path to the now-open door isn’t clear. Xaden fills the doorway like some kind of dark, avenging angel, the messenger of the queen of the gods. He’s fully dressed, his face a mask of veritable rage as shadows curl from the walls on either side of him, hanging in midair. For the first time since crossing the parapet, I’m so fucking relieved to see him that I could cry.
