His fingers closed around her wrist, not rough, but absolute. A shiver, sharp and electric, raced up her arm.
Then her world dissolved. Not into darkness, but into a blur of shadow and cold air rushing past her face. The forest vanished, the scent of pine and earth replaced by the faint aroma of smoke and old stone. Her stomach lurched, the sensation of teleportation leaving her dizzy and disoriented. When her senses snapped back into place, they were somewhere else entirely.
A chamber, vast and dimly lit. A massive four-poster bed of dark, polished wood dominated the space, its hangings the color of midnight. A fire crackled in a great hearth, casting restless, dancing light over tapestries that seemed to swallow the illumination. It was quiet, the silence so profound she could hear th
