Alina ran her fingers along the warped brass rings of the half-collapsed sphere, watching shadows flicker along the grooves. The narrow doorway behind a toppled bookcase caught her eye. Something drew her forward.
“You always know where to find these places,” she said quietly, trying to steady her voice.
Riven leaned against a cracked pillar, one eyebrow raised, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I don’t find them. They find me. And when they do…” He straightened slightly, letting his dark gaze linger on her, “…it seems only fair to share them with someone who appreciates the trouble.”
Alina gave a small frown. “Trouble?”
“Exactly,” he said, stepping a little closer. “The sort of trouble that makes you remember you’re alive.”
She glanced toward the doorway again. “And if I w
