EMMALINE
My heart hammers against my ribs. “Alexander—”
“Please.” His grip tightens on my shoulder, and I realize with shock that his hands are shaking. “You can’t go in there. If you do—”
His voice breaks. “If you see what’s behind that door, everything changes. Everything.”
Tears burn my eyes. “I need to know the truth. I need to understand what happened—”
“Not like this.” His other hand comes up to cup my face, and his touch is achingly gentle despite the desperation in his eyes. “Not here. Not now. Trust me. Please, Emmaline. Trust me just this once.”
The world around us begins to tremble. The door behind me pulses with dark energy. The walls flicker like a candle about to go out.
And I realize with crushing certainty that time is running out, and I have to choose.
The truth a
