Sunbeam Lair seorsum

Her breath was held—captivated by his studious eyes. He saw past her—garnered more from watching her than many had by even speaking to her. What did that mean, if it did not meet his version of serendipitous?

His words—it reminded her of a game she had seen others partake on rowdier nights. Nothing her shy self had ever braved, and when he looked away, she remained emboldened, her eyes following him, tracing the chiseled line of a fine jaw, the careful mask of a trained soldier.

Truth or dare… “And what do you see, Imperator?”

That coil in her belly—the warmth spread. She shifted, all pretensions of humor gone, for now she stood on the very edge of a dangerous precipice in her life.