Elaine's heart raced as she entered the hidden room under the rose garden.
The room smelled like dirt and wet stone, and the walls were lined with candles that flickered in the stale air.
There was a lot of tension, almost too much to handle. Marcus was already there, waiting in the dark, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking.
Elaine's eyes were locked on his as soon as the door closed behind her.
"You came," Marcus said softly, his voice full of both relief and doubt.
Elaine nodded but didn't say anything right away. Her mind was racing with everything that had happened, torn between her loyalty and her moral doubts.
It was too much for her to handle when she learned about Kael's past, the secrets he had kept from her, and the growing bond between them.
Marcus had call
