Aria couldn't shake the sound of the prisoner's laughter. It echoed in her head long after he'd been dragged out of the basement, louder even than Luca's final words to her: You're mine, whether you admit it or not.
The mansion was too quiet that night, as if holding its breath. Guards patrolled the halls, their shadows spilling beneath her door, but the silence in her room was unbearable. Every flicker of candlelight reminded her of his eyes, every creak of the old house reminded her of the danger pressing closer.
When she finally worked up the courage to leave, she found him in the courtyard, pacing like a caged animal. He hadn't heard her yet. His movements were sharp, restless, his head tilted back toward the sky as though searching for something out of reach.
"You can't keep doing this," she said softly.
He turned, instantly alert. "Doing what?"
