The chill of dawn slipped through the velvet silk curtains, carrying with it the faint scent of lavender and expensive cedarwood. Etien blinked, his eyelids heavy, as though he'd only just closed them before being dragged back into wakefulness. His body ached, exhaustion clung to him, and every fiber screamed to crawl back under the covers, but once his eyes were open, he knew it would be pointless to try and sleep again.
Last night's memory hit him like a hammer: Glen had ordered Reiner and the others to fetch Kael and Lyria. The command had nearly sparked a full-blown fight between them.
"No. No. No… this is insane. I've gotta stop this," he muttered, cutting off the humiliating reel of what had happened between him and Glen.
Etien scrubbed his face with both hands, sighing so deeply it sounded like his soul was tired.
