CHAPTER 4
Alec had changed so much from the teenager who had been sent away, but she had recognised him in less than a heartbeat. He was the only person who was connected to her, a tether invisible to all, a single silver strand linking her heart to his. At some point, in his arms, she had fallen asleep, or lost consciousness. She wasn’t sure which. The events were a blur of confusion. She remembered meeting his eyes and the overwhelming feeling of relief, the way her soul had sagged as their hands touched, then nothing until she awoke here.
For a moment, she had feared it had all been a dream, a retreat into the safe place of her mind where he always waited to hold her. But as she opened her eyes, there he was, standing silhouetted against the rain-streaked window. The years had been so
