Chapter 187: Windowlight and Footwork
The snow hadn't stopped. It came in soft, unhurried waves that blanketed the compound, muffling the world beneath its quiet weight.
It was nighttime already. Everyone had settled in their homes, next to the hearth to warm them up. The faint glow from torches along the pathways shimmered against the white, their flames bending with the occasional breeze.
Orion stood by his window, one hand braced against the frame. From where he stood, he could see inside Sophia's home.
The silhouette moving inside was hers; he'd recognize that gait anywhere now. The way she paused between steps, as though caught mid-thought, before resuming her pace. He could tell when she reached for something, could guess when she bent over the table or turned a page. She was reading when she was supposed to be in his home.
He watched her for longer than he should have, the cold from the glass slowly creeping into his skin.
"Why isn't she coming?" Orion muttered.
