I ended by wrapping the gift I’d purchased for him at the market, an assortment of exotic jams with flatbreads to eat them on. I couldn’t delude myself into thinking it was romantic—that honor would’ve gone to the tapestry of the constellations I’d found, woven with the finest, brightest silk I’d ever seen, and would’ve been perfect for pinning to the roof of his cage to remind him of that first night we spent together—but it would do for now.
It was nearly an hour after midnight when I finally felt safe enough to check the corridors. Lights had been turned down low, soft semi-circles melted along the edges of the floor. No sound trickled from either direction, not a voice, not a hum. The citadel slept.
Dek awaited.
With my scrambler in my pocket and Dek’s gift firm in hand, I locked my
