Kirti had been out of her room all night, which was one of the biggest infractions a student could commit. The repercussions were very serious. And yet lying there with her warm and soft against me, with all the other problems waiting for me just outside the door, I couldn’t make myself care. She woke not long after I did. I hadn’t moved and was still wrapped around her. She looked up at me and smiled, but a crease of sadness appeared in her forehead. “You’re leaving.” I nodded. There was nothing else to say. She watched my face for a long moment then pecked a kiss on my lips and got up to get dressed. I watched her from the bed, wanting to say something but not sure what. She scrambled into her clothes and kissed me once more. “See you at breakfast,” she said, and left. If I’d thought entering the dining hall the night before with the emperor had been uncomfortable, it was nothing compared to walking in for breakfast that morning. Four steps into the room, the sudden silence was palpable.
