Chapter 185
Annalise
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until the castle gates opened, and the air inside shifted. Cold. Dense. Familiar.
The marble floors echoed under our feet, but it was Dane’s grip around my wrist that anchored me. Possessive. Harsh. Like I’d try to run again.
I wouldn’t. There was no point now. I had already walked myself into the fire.
The corridor that once smelled like rose oil and old parchment now carried the weight of dread. I didn’t want to look up, but I felt the stares.
All of them were staring at me.
The guards. The maids. The advisors.
Familiar faces who had once bowed with warmth now looked at me like they’d seen a ghost. One of the guards—a young male with hazel eyes I remembered training with years ago—visibly trembled, his sword slipping s
