MARIA.
The moment the door opened, my heart skipped violently against my ribs, as though it already knew what my eyes had not yet seen. A cold wave of dread swept through me, thick and suffocating.
This is it.
My worst nightmare was about to be confirmed.
For a second, I couldn't breathe. My palms turned clammy where they pressed against the edge of the mattress. My pulse roared in my ears, drowning out every other sound in the room.
Will my head be chipped off this time? I wondered wildly, fear twisting my thoughts into something irrational and desperate.
Adrien had only just pulled away from me. The warmth of his presence lingered beside me on the bed, but the moment the door creaked open, he stepped back as if burned. His body went rigid. He dragged a hand through his hair and exhaled sharply, the sound loud and strained.
I forced myself to lift my head.
And then I saw him.
Davian.
