Unrestrained tears streamed down her cheeks as her heart ached for the man in her dream, his pain still echoing through her chest. She tried to calm her ragged breathing, forcing the tight lump in her throat back down.
Her trembling fingers brushed away the tears as she blinked rapidly, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness around her. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in Ivan's arms after another heated, breathless session together.
Ivan!
At the thought of him, she turned to her side, only to find the bed empty, the sheets cool where his warmth should have been.
With the curtains drawn, there was no light seeping in.
"Ivan?" she called softly.
No answer.
A chill crept up her spine as she sat up, her hands crept to the side table until they brushed the cold metal of the candle stand and the familiar shape of a matchbox. She fumbled with it with her clumsy fingers in haste, before striking a flame.
