I twist, trying to shove him off.
Edric only snarls and grabs a fistful of my dress.
Ibitehim as hard as I can. His blood fills my mouth. Howling in pain, he finally releases me.
I run, feet pounding against the marble, and yank on the door only to find that it won’t open. I flee through the window, climbing down a tree.
My slippers fall off, but all I can think is,Faster.
Through the rose garden. Into the dark beyond. My body trembles, heart exploding, mind spinning.
The stables. Horses. Guards. Safety.
But no one’s there—onlyGentleman, my white stallion.
Sobbing, I race into the shadows, Edric hot on my heels. I can hear his ragged breath behind me.
“Selene!”
As I reach the stall, Gentleman’s eyes flash toward me, wide and alert.
I slip in the damp straw, hitting the muddy floor with athudthat knocks the breath from my lungs.
And then Edric ison me. Pinning me. Straddling me, one hand at my throat, the other yanking up my dress.
“No,” I scream. “Stop! Please—stop—someone,help—”
The weight crushes me.
And then—a flash of white. A crack. A scream—his,not mine.
Then… darkness.
I wake screaming. The cave swirls in my vision, the remnants of the dream still blazing through my blood. My heart slams against my ribs like it’s trying to escape its cage. My fists are clenched, my body braced against a danger that is not there. I’m not in my room. I’m not in the stables. I’m—
Arms wrap around me from behind, strong yet gentle.
I panic, shrieking, “Get off me—!”
“Fire…” The whisper is gravel and velvet.
Fire?Not Selene?
Keiren.
Keiren.
I freeze, but his arms don’t tighten. They just stay, as steady as stone and just as still.
“It’s alright,” he murmurs. “You’re safe. You’re here with me.”
I’m shaking.I can’t breathe.
He releases me instantly. He doesn’t move, doesn’t ask questions. Just… waits.
The fire crackles softly in the distance. The mist from the spring clings to the air like a second skin. My skin is slick with sweat. My whole body trembles as if the nightmare is still crawling under my skin.
“You don’t have to talk,” he says after a moment. “Just breathe with me, okay?”
