Aria's POV
The silence in the grand archive was the heavy, suffocating kind that usually meant someone was about to die, or worse, get caught.
I held my breath, pressing my back flat against the cold stone pillar. My heart was hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.
"I know you're in here, Aria," Julian’s voice echoed off the high vaulted ceilings, dripping with that smooth, infuriating confidence he always wore like a cloak. "You really thought a rusty lock would stop me?"
I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, silently cursing my luck. "I didn't think the lock would stop you, Julian. I was just hoping the stairs would give you a heart attack."
A low laugh rustled through the dark aisle between the ancient bookshelves. "You always did have high expectations for me. Now, ha
