Chapter 123
Annalise
The library was bathed in the golden light of the afternoon sun, filtering through the tall arched windows and casting shifting patterns on the floor. I sat curled up in one of the plush velvet chairs, a book resting in my lap, though my eyes had long since stopped following the words. Instead, they drifted toward the large portrait hanging on the wall—a painting of me and my mates.
A soft smile tugged at my lips as I gazed at Cassian’s face. The artist had captured his sharp, regal features perfectly, the unreadable depth in his dark eyes, the cool authority in his stance. But looking at him now, knowing what the past week had been like, I saw more than just his usual impenetrable mask. I saw something familiar. Something warm.
To my surprise, he had been within t
