Peniel
"I need you to stop," I said, my voice steady but tight. His face—those familiar eyes—searched mine, full of questions he wasn’t ready to ask.
"What do you mean it was all just—"
"Lucian wants nothing from you right now," I snapped, cutting him off. The lie tasted bitter on my tongue, but I forced it out, feeling the forest press in around us as if even the trees knew the truth. My breath hitched, my hands trembling at my sides. "I… I was bewitched." The words came out soft, shaky. I averted my gaze, my throat dry. "Wandering the woods… it felt like they were playing with me. Twisting everything."
His dagger slipped from his grasp, clattering against the stones, forgotten. He moved closer, the warmth of his presence unsettling. His hand, rough but gentle, cupped my cheek, and th
