[Rynthall Estate—Silas's Chambers]
Lucien's head throbbed like someone had whacked him with a lute and then politely asked him to sing opera in soprano. Every muscle in his body ached, as though the entire dream had physically sat on him, eaten three full-course meals, and left behind emotional glitter.
And Silas… Silas was still hugging him. Very tightly.
"...Can't… breathe…" Lucien wheezed into his collarbone. "You're hugging me like a starving man clutching carbs at a clearance sale."
Silas didn't let go.
Lucien's fingers twitched. "I get that you missed me, but unless you're planning to squeeze me into a smoothie, I would like… a little bit of lung function?"
Silas loosened the hug just enough for Lucien to suck in a breath like a dying cactus given rain.
Silas looked into his eyes, not enough to let go. "I thought I lost you," he whispered, his voice raw. "You were gone, Lucien. For ten days. Ten."
Lucien stared.
Blink.
Blink.
