Crow nodded when Penelope said she would attach his letter to the one she was writing to Olivia. Now that his part was done, he leaned back in his chair and rested his hands behind his head, taking a break after the effort of writing so much. While it wasn’t a particularly exhausting activity, he still wasn’t used to it, so it took a bit more effort out of him that it probably did for other people. He was glad he’d had the chance to practice though. He wanted to get better at it so he could compose letters as quickly as the knight did.

Absently, he watched her write her second letter to Olivia. His heart skipped excitedly in his chest at the thought that it wouldn’t be long before he heard news from his companions. He wondered how they were doing since they’d last spoken. The last time he’d seen them, a lot had already changed. Alistair seemed to be more serious than usual about his relationship with Olivia, he and Rikki were finally on decent terms again, and Hazel was pregnant with Simon’s child. He was eager to hear updates on how things had developed in the outer villages lately too. Hopefully the thieves would think to include some news about the other peasants they had been trying to protect.

As Penelope continued to write, Crow began to grow restless with a slight onset of boredom. He let his gaze wander over the empty room, although there wasn’t much to hold his attention, since he’d already explored the place thoroughly since he’d moved in. He tapped his foot beneath the table and then stood up to pace in an attempt to get rid of some of his pent-up energy. The motion helped some, but it didn’t get rid of the feeling completely, so he paused by his bed with a quiet huff.

As he stood there, the viceroy’s eyes wandered to the bed as an unwelcomed thought abruptly reemerged in his mind. He’d managed to forget about his dream for most of the day, but now that night had fallen and the room was still, the unnerving images flitted through his head once more. He swallowed and averted his gaze to the opposite wall, suddenly nervous that the nightmare would return when he laid down to sleep that night. After all, he’d had recurring nightmares before. It had been a while since the last time they had happened, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t come back again.

Disturbed by the thought, his eyes flicked back to where Penelope was sitting at the table. Once she finished her letter to her friend and went back to her room, there would be nothing left to keep him awake. He didn’t want to go to bed yet—not when there was a chance that he would be tormented by that dream again.

Crossing to the other side of the room, Crow stepped up behind the knight and leaned over to wrap his arms around her. “You know, no one’s going to be stopping by here until the morning,” he murmured suggestively, pressing a kiss to her neck. “Preston already left for the night, and no one else ever comes through this late.” He traced his lips against her skin and nipped playfully at her ear. “It’s been a while since we’ve last been together… What do you say we take advantage of the time we’ve got now? I’ll even block the door with my dagger if it’ll make you feel better.”