But something felt wrong.
Long Tian sat up, his hand moving to the space beside him where she should have been. The sheets were cold. Not the coolness of an hour's absence, but the deep chill of a bed left empty for many hours.
His heart seized with immediate panic.
He rose quickly, his form shifting fluidly in the water as he pulled on his robes. "My love?" he called out, swimming to the adjoining chamber that served as her dressing room, though she hadn't had the strength to use it in weeks.
Empty. Her morning tea sat untouched on the table, cold and forgotten, though she'd barely had the strength to lift a cup in recent months anyway.
A tendril of unease coiled in his chest, tightening into dread.
"Xiao Yu," he called urgently, summoning one of his wife's attendants.
The young celestial maiden appeared immediately, swimming through the doorway and bowing low, her tail elegant even in her haste. "Yes, my lord?"
"Where is the lady?" His voice was sharp, edged with fear.
