“What are you doing here?”
The voice came from behind me, low but sharp enough to slice right through my spine. I froze, my hand still hovering awkwardly in the air as though I’d been caught red-handed stealing something.
I yelped, a tiny scream that barely escaped my throat, and slapped my palm over my mouth to silence myself before whoever was behind the coded door could hear. My heart was a mad drum in my chest, thundering loud enough I was sure it would wake the whole mansion.
“Lucian,” I whispered his name, not daring to turn immediately but knowing exactly who it was. His presence pressed against me before I even faced him. Heavy, firm, like the weight of the night itself had taken a shape.
“You shouldn’t be here. You should be in your room,” he said, no patience in his tone. No
