Chapter 268 – Noelle POV
The bathroom is warm, scented with rose oil and something sharper—amber, maybe. The tiles beneath my bare feet are still damp from steam, and I leave faint prints as I walk out into the bedroom, wrapped loosely in a robe.
The light from the tall standing lamp catches on the polished glass of the mirror. I sit before it, hair damp against my shoulders, and begin the slow process of oiling and untangling it.
My fingers move through the strands with practiced ease, letting the scent of lavender oil rise with every stroke.
That's when I catch it.
A flicker of light across the collar at my throat.
I glance down.
The jewel at the center of it—a large, clear gem with a soft violet glow—sparkles in the lamplight. I run a finger gently along the metal band, more reflex than thought. I've worn it for so long now I often forget it's there. The weight of it is familiar, comforting even, a visible symbol of something so much deeper than possession or bond.
