Heiko stood in his chamber, the silence pressing against his senses like a suffocating blanket as he knew that they need to prepare for dinner. He extended his awareness, letting his instincts flow outward like invisible tendrils reaching for the one heartbeat he had come to recognize—River’s.
But the rhythm he sought was not there. The soft thump of her presence, usually just beyond the stone wall, was gone. His eyes snapped to the clock.
It was late. Too late. She was supposed to have finished her lessons with Mrs. Leila long ago. A frown formed across his brow, etched deeper by every tick of the passing seconds, a heaviness beginning to settle into his chest like storm clouds before a downpour.
Without another moment of hesitation, he made his way through the corridor with long, sw
