A dull throbbing echoed through my skull, dragging me back to consciousness. My body felt heavy, as if I had been submerged in deep water, my limbs sluggish and unwilling to respond. I inhaled sharply, the scent of aged wood, faint vanilla, and something richer... something familiar, filling my lungs.
I wasn’t home.
Panic clawed at my chest, but before I could force myself upright, a deep voice cut through the haze.
“Easy, Eloise. You’re safe.”
Lucas. His voice was warm, soothing, but beneath it, I caught an edge of concern. I blinked against the dim lighting, my vision swimming before sharpening on his face. He was sitting beside me, his brows drawn together in an uncharacteristic display of worry.
Then, I remembered. The portraits. The one of Lucas and Cassian together. The realizat
