Darkness came first.
Then cold.
Elara opened her eyes slowly, her head throbbing as if someone had split it in two. The air smelled unfamiliar. Not like Adrian’s estate. Not like safety.
Her wrists were tied.
Not tightly enough to hurt, but firmly enough to remind her of reality.
She forced herself to stay calm.
Fear would not help her.
Footsteps echoed across the floor.
A door opened.
Light spilled into the room.
The woman from the corridor stepped inside.
Ravenmoor.
She looked different in daylight. Less mysterious, more calculated.
“You woke up faster than I expected,” the woman said lightly.
Elara lifted her chin. “You kidnapped the wrong person.”
Ravenmoor smiled. “No. We kidnapped the perfect one.”
Elara studied her surroundings. The room was simple. Concrete walls. O
