Aliena woke to a chill that made her shiver uncontrollably. Her head throbbed, pulse erratic, and the lingering heat of the poison still clung to her veins. The marble floor beneath her was cold and hard, but she was no longer alone.
Sebastian knelt beside her, dark eyes glowing faintly in the dim morning light. His hands hovered over hers, and the shadows around him seemed to stretch, curling protectively as though anticipating another threat.
"You shouldn't have moved," he said, his voice low, sharp, dangerous. "You're weak."
"I… I felt… something," she whispered, voice trembling. "Like… a pull."
He frowned, his gaze darkening. "A pull?"
Aliena's chest rose and fell rapidly. "My necklace… it… reacted… with you."
Sebastian's jaw tightened, and for the first time, he looked uncertain, not of himself, but of what the bond between them truly meant. A slow, dangerous heat spread through him, and the shadows that clung to his form thickened.
