Ren's pulse spiked. The instant her palm sealed over his mouth, an instinct older than thought ignited in him—a deep, crawling terror that came from somewhere beyond reason. Every muscle in his body screamed to fight, to run, yet his limbs felt like solid iron.
He tried to wrench his head around, to see her face, but the room had turned into a tunnel of darkness. Even his own breath sounded muffled.
Her fingers tightened slightly, not hurting, but unyielding. A low, shuddering hum vibrated from her throat after her initial words, a sound halfway between a sigh and a lullaby.
Ren was panicking inside, thinking of every possible horrible scenario in his head, but soon something happened that allowed him to see the person holding him clearly.
Another car rolled past outside. For a heartbeat, pale yellow light spilled across the room like a blade—just enough for Ren to catch a glimpse of her.
Golden hair. Crimson blossoms. A high-slit cheongsam.
