Pearl’s POV
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I felt was emptiness.
The pillow beneath my head was unfamiliar, softer than the ones at the academy. My hand instinctively reached out, searching for warmth, searching for him. But there was nothing. Just cool sheets and silence.
I sat up quickly, my heart pounding. Where was I? The carriage. Demyan. His arms carried me. His voice whispering things only meant for me. The way his hand had held mine like I was the only soul left in the world.
But now he is gone.
I swung my legs to the side of the bed, realizing with a jolt that I wasn’t in his carriage anymore. The carved wooden frame, the neat rows of trunks, the faint scent of parchment and ink, it was the dormitory. My dormitory.
My chest tightened painfully.
“Demyan?” I whispered
