ELOWEN
My eyes flew open as a hand gently caressed my cheek. I grabbed it, finding Voridian staring into my eyes. I knew he would hear my first thought: why he was seated beside me, caressing my face.
"You fainted a few minutes ago because the thorn turned out to be poisonous," he explained.
I sighed, rubbing my forehead as memories of the garden flooded back—how I’d retrieved a rose for him, only to be attacked by the deadly traps surrounding the place. I wondered what might have happened if he had been a little slower, given how quickly the traps had appeared, even before I could venture further into the garden.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
I frowned, pushing his hand away and trying to stand, but a sharp pain shot through my left thigh. "Oh, goodness!" I groaned. "This is all your
