Damian was gone for five days.
Five days dealing with whatever border crisis had called him north. Five days of Selene trying to maintain her duties while the bond symptoms returned with a vengeance.
She'd planned to search the archives that first night. Had waited until the castle was quiet. Had made her way toward the lower levels where the restricted documents were kept.
But she'd barely made it down one flight of stairs before the pain hit. Worse than before. Crippling. Like her body was punishing her for being separated from Damian.
Selene had collapsed on the stairs. Had spent an hour curled up in agony before she could move again. Had crawled back to her bunk and spent the rest of the night fighting not to scream.
The proximity in his chambers had helped more than she'd realized. Just being near him, even without touching, had kept the worst of the bond pain at bay.
Now that he was gone, now that there was real distance between them, her body was falling apart.
