Evaline:
He didn't let go.
His hand stayed wrapped firmly around mine, even as I shifted and quietly tried to pull away. It wasn't forceful, but it was deliberate. Steady. I wasn't sure if he was doing it to reassure me or himself, but either way, I gave up trying to pull away... for the time being.
There were bigger things to focus on.
So I stared at him. The lines of his face were more visible under the pale wash of moonlight that was spilling over the hidden garden.
I didn't even know such a place existed, tucked away in some forgotten corner of the Academy, but I had to admit - it was beautiful. Silent. Isolated. The kind of place that felt like it belonged to someone who carried secrets heavy enough to require silence.
The kind of place someone like Kieran would come to breathe.
"Why did you bring me down there?" I asked, keeping my voice quiet and careful. "Why tell me all these secrets? What were you going to ask me to do when you called me to your office?"
