Christina tugged the huque tighter around her chest in an effort to ward off the sudden chill sweeping over her, but the thick wool cloak felt as thin as linen against the penetrating mist. Glancing up at the darkening sky, she shivered and hurried her step.
She’d slipped away to the village after the feast, and though the autumn days were still long, her task had taken longer than she’d anticipated. If she didn’t hurry she’d be late for the evening meal, and she still needed to change.
After gifting her maidservant with a gently used cotte from her trunk, she’d secretly borrowed the girl’s old gown. It was still finer than the clothing worn by the serving women here, but worn and plain enough not to cause undue suspicion.
Thankfully, most of the guests, including her father, were housed in the old hall and barracks on the main island. Only a handful were staying in MacDonald’s new tower house, so she didn’t incur as much risk of running into someone who might recognize her.
She picked her way along the second causeway toward the smaller island, the shadow of the castle looming before her. The growing darkness made her uneasy, but it could not completely dampen her spirits. A smile curved her mouth as the swell of success rose inside her: She’d done it. Her crazy plan just might work.
In truth, convincing someone to take them had been easier than she’d expected. Whether because of simple disinterest or the gold necklace she’d offered in payment, the boatswain had been happy to agree to take them to Iona without question. He was traveling to Mull the day after tomorrow and would drop them off on the way.
Christina did not fool herself. Their plan was fraught with difficulties. Even if they managed to get away her father would certainly follow them, and there was a chance the nunnery would not give them sanctuary, but she could not think of that now. They had to take a chance. After what happened earlier today, she knew there was no time to waste.
Though she’d been careful to avoid catching the MacLeod chief’s gaze, she was acutely aware of his glowering stare on her during the meal—especially when Lachlan MacRuairi had come over to introduce himself and thank her for the timely interruption. The dark-haired warrior with green eyes was even more handsome up close—despite the scar that ran along his cheekbone—but he did not affect her in the same way that the other warrior did. He frightened her. She sensed a blackness in him that ran deep.
The greatest swordsman in the Isles, they said about Tor MacLeod. A long shiver ran through her as she recalled the intensity of MacLeod’s gaze. Like her father, he was probably furious with her for interfering in his fight.
Why had he stopped?
It was just the kind of thing Lancelot would do for Guinevere. She smiled at the ridiculousness of the comparison. This fearsome half-Norse, half-Gael, Gall-Gaedhil warlord was nothing like her Lancelot.
She thought of Lancelot atop his horse, his striking ice blue eyes, handsome features, and golden hair shining in the sun like some gorgeous sun god … She bit her lip. Actually, the MacLeod chief fit her image quite well, except that he was much taller and more heavily muscled than she’d imagined Lancelot.
Lancelot would lose.
She put her hand over her mouth, as if the unbidden thought might somehow emerge from between her lips. It was practically heresy. Lancelot had been the greatest knight in Christendom. There was no comparison.
Or was there? What if it had been chivalrous instinct that caused the MacLeod chief to spare the other man’s life? Had he stopped because of her?
She shook her head. There she went again, letting herself get carried away. Did a superficial resemblance to the knight of her dreams make her forget the cold ferocity in his glacial gaze? He’d looked at her for only an instant and his expression had never changed. She would not find kindness or chivalry from an Island warlord.
She trembled a little just thinking about it. Good gracious, she’d be terrified to say two words to him!
Stepping off the long causeway, she was relieved to have almost reached her destination. Christina didn’t like being out alone in the dark. What might be an everyday occurrence for a servant was a rarity for a lady.
She was about ten feet from the forestairs that led up to the entry to the castle when she heard the sound of voices above her. She glanced up and felt her heart slam to a sudden stop.
Father! With MacDonald and at least a half dozen other men. They stepped out of the keep and started down the stairs.
What can I say? How can I explain?
Knowing she was only moments from disaster, she looked around for somewhere to hide. With only a split second to react, Christina did the only thing she could and ducked under the wooden stairs. Back plastered to the cold stone of the castle, she held completely still. Not one whisper of air escaped her lips as the men stomped down the stairs right over her head. They were laughing and joking as if they’d been drinking the entire time since the feast—which they probably had.
Her heart pounded in her ears. Please, don’t look down.
She dared to exhale only when the last men stepped off the stairs and the boisterous voices trailed off toward the nearby roundhouse. Forcing herself to wait until it was completely silent, she stepped out of the shadows.
Her body sighed with relief.
A moment too soon. Someone grabbed her from behind and spun her around. She gasped as her body collided with his massive chest.
“What have we here?” the man slurred, the drink as heavy in his voice as it was on his breath.
Christina looked up into the black eyes of a brutish-looking warrior who towered above her by at least a foot. A guardsman, by the looks of him. He was as big as a bear, his features thick and crude, with a thick mass of wiry black hair that spread from his head to his chin and limited neck in a seamless bushy stream. Instinctively, she recoiled, sinking deeper into the folds of her hooded cloak and keeping her face hidden in the shadows.
“Where did you come from?” he leered, revealing a chipped-off front tooth.
For a moment, Christina was too stunned to reply. Despite her father’s recent treatment, it was still a shock to be manhandled so roughly. Knights didn’t accost ladies.
But she wasn’t dressed as a lady.
And he wasn’t a knight.
She would have to set him aright. “How dare you!” she said in her haughtiest voice. “Let go of me.” She tried to pull away, but his hand on her arm gripped her like a vise.
Her attitude didn’t discourage him; rather it only served to anger him. “Ye’re an uppity bitch, aren’t you?” He jerked her a little closer, close enough for her to see the spittle at the corner of his mouth, dampening his beard. Her stomach turned. “I’ve not seen you before. You must be with those Scot ladies,” he sneered.
She didn’t think it was the time to point out that the Isles were part of Scotland, too.
He was drunk, really drunk. Panic bubbled up inside her, but she fought to tamp it down. It was clear this man was not to be reasoned with, not in his current state.
There was nothing left to do. Even if it meant trying to explain to her father what she was doing out alone dressed like a servant, she had to reveal her identity. Once this ruffian knew the truth, he would let her go.
She tossed back her hood dramatically. “I’m not with the Scots ladies, I am Lady Christina Fraser, Sir Andrew Fraser’s daughter.”
As she was expecting him to let go of her arm, what he did next took her by complete surprise. He grabbed a pile of her hair in his fist and turned her face into the soft glow of torchlight beaming from the entry above.
She cried out at the burst of pain in the back of her head.
His eyes were glassy and unfocused as he examined her face, but it was clear from the way he smiled that he liked what he was able to see. “A real lady, are you? And I’m the King of England, ol’ Longshanks himself.” He laughed at his own joke. “God, would ye look at that mouth. I hope you know how to use it.”
Blood drained from her face as fear and outrage turned to icy panic. He doesn’t believe me. The possibility had never occurred to her. Christina had a sinking feeling that her naïveté and inexperience had just caught up with her. Suddenly, her short outing seemed ill conceived, foolhardy, and dangerous—very dangerous.
She looked around for help, but the place appeared deserted. Where was the guard? Would anyone hear her cries? Would anyone care?
The way he was leering at her made her skin crawl. She could guess his intentions. “Let go of me, you filthy beast!” she shouted. She tried to reach up and claw at him, but he sensed her movement and pinned her arms against her body by wrapping her tighter against his.
She fought to break free, but her struggles seemed to only make him angrier.
“You little hellcat!” he said furiously. “Like it rough, do you?” He dragged her toward the keep, deeper into the shadows, and slammed her back onto the wall of the castle, knocking the breath from her. He had one hand on her head, one around her waist holding her arms, and his body pinning her to the wall, making it barely possible for her to breathe, let alone move.
The sound of men’s voices gave her a renewed burst of energy. “Help!” she managed breathlessly, before he clamped a hand down over her mouth.
But they’d heard her. “You over there.”
Her attacker stilled.
It had to be the castle guard. Tears streamed down her cheeks, relieved that this nightmare would soon be over.
“Hurry up, will you?” one of the men said. “The lass is making a lot of noise and there are ladies about.”
Her attacker chuckled. “Aye, she’s a real screamer.”
The other men laughed and moved off, leaving her stunned. How could they just leave her? They didn’t care. She was nothing to them.
It was up to her. No one would help her.
Releasing his hand from her mouth, his grip on her hair tightened and he forced her face to his, resuming where he’d left off before the interruption. His mouth lowered and she cried out, “No!” She tried to evade him, twisting her head until tears came, not caring if he ripped out all her hair. But the harder she struggled, the harder his grip on her grew.
Their teeth knocked, sending a blast of pain to her nose, as his mouth came down on hers with crushing force. The pungent scent of putrid ale assailed her senses. She gagged, revulsion rising up in the back of her throat as her stomach threatened to empty. He tried to force his tongue between her lips, but she clamped her jaw tightly closed.
He grunted in frustration, his body grinding harder against hers, as he pressed his slobbery lips against her jaw. When he released her head she thought she’d won, but the victory was short-lived.
She felt his hands tugging at her neck, felt his ragged nails against her bare skin as he held the edge of the neck of her gown and pulled.
She heard the ripping sound of fabric an instant before the cold air blasted her bare breast. He groaned as his hand covered her and squeezed—hard. Horrified, she cried out at the brutal invasion.
“God, would you look at these tits!” He sounded like a man who’d just found a bag of gold. “Big and round, just the way I like them.”
Every ounce of her strength erupted in revolt at the feel of his disgusting hands on her body. “Don’t touch me!” she screamed, close to hysteria. Lashing out like a wild woman, she was able to free one of her arms long enough to drag her nails down his cheek.
He howled out in pain and instinctively drew back. But the shock faded and his black gaze narrowed on her with chilling intent. He put his hand on his face, drawing it back to reveal blood. “I’m going to kill you for that, you bitch.”
He came at her again and she darted to the right, trying to evade him. But he was too fast. He caught hold of her cloak and started to reel her in.
Her heart raced as she summoned everything she had to try to get away, twisting, hitting, and kicking. But this time he was prepared. She fought against the feeling of helplessness that threatened to smother her, refusing to give up hope.
She pushed against him one more time, stunned when he seemed to fly back in the air.
Any thought that she might have been responsible was quickly doused when she looked up to see the guardsman who’d attacked her being held off the ground by the scruff of his neck like a pup by another man. It was too dark to see the newcomer’s face, but he was tall and broad—even more so than her attacker. For the first time in her life she was glad of brawn and muscles.
“I believe the lass is not interested,” he said coolly.
His voice was deep and razor sharp, holding the unmistakable edge of authority. Something about it made her skin prickle.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” her attacker spat. “The lass is willing enough. An’ even if she weren’t, it’s none of your bloody business.” The guardsman who’d seemed as strong as an ox to her struggled to break free of the man’s hold, but he only tightened his grip, cutting off the guardsman’s breath.
Her rescuer twisted the gasping man around to face him. “I just made it my business.” He threw her attacker up against the keep, much as the other man had done to her. His head collided with a sickening thud, followed by the sound of teeth rattling. Pinned by the neck, her attacker uttered an oath, his eyes widening with fear.
“You’re one of MacRuairi’s men?” her rescuer said.
Her attacker tried to nod, but he couldn’t move his head enough.
“I know your face. And if I so much as hear of you touching an unwilling woman again, mine will be the last you ever see.” He sniffed as if he’d just gotten a scent of something vile. “I don’t care how drunk you are. Do you understand?”
The attacker nodded mutely, obviously too scared to speak. He looked as if he’d seen a ghost—or the grim reaper himself.
“Then go,” her rescuer said, releasing him. “Before I change my mind.”
The guardsman, who’d seemed so overpowering to her, scampered away like a frightened mouse. When her rescuer turned his face out of the shadow to face her, Christina smothered a startled gasp with her hand, knowing why her attacker had fled in terror.
With still no sign of Nicolson, Tor had decided to seek out MacDonald and was making his way back to the keep when he heard grunting and caught sight of the shadowed figures against the wall. Though he preferred less public displays himself, privacy was a privilege afforded very few, and it wasn’t uncommon to see a guardsman take his pleasure with a lass anywhere that would accommodate.
He ignored them as he usually did, until he heard a cry. His gaze sharpened, this time seeing the signs of struggle that hadn’t been apparent with a glance.
The flash of anger struck him hard. Mistreatment of women did not sit well with him, but rape held a particular abhorrence since he’d learned of his mother’s fate. Men under his command knew he had no tolerance for abusing women in such a foul manner. Punishment would be swift and severe.
The lass was putting up an impressive fight, but it was no contest—a fact that added to his irritation. Grabbing the man by the neck, he pulled him off her, threw him against the hard stone, and pinned him to the wall by his throat. He saw the moment of recognition and knew the man would not put up a fight. Too bad. He would have welcomed the excuse.
His already dark mood had turned black.
Once the guardsman had vanished into the night, Tor turned to the lass. She’d backed away during his exchange with the guardsman and stood just beyond the reach of the torchlight, huddled in the darkness. She was a tiny thing and he felt a fresh rush of anger, thinking of the size of the man who’d attacked her. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m f-fine,” she said haltingly. She seemed to be fighting to control her shaking. Shock. He’d seen enough men experience such a reaction after battle. “Thank you,” she said, gathering herself together. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
He frowned. Something wasn’t right. Her voice. Soft and sweet, the gently modulated tones were not of the area and were unmistakably refined. A well-spoken serving girl? He stared hard at the trembling figure in the shadows, able to make out just enough to send a prickle of disquiet running along the back of his neck. “Come,” he said, holding out his hand. “I won’t hurt you.”
She hesitated, then slid her hand into his. He felt a shock, an odd jarring sensation. Her fingers were icy cold, but soft. Too soft, he thought with a spur of irrational anger.
By Thor’s hammer, it couldn’t be.
But even before he pulled her forward into the pool of light, he knew.
She lifted the smooth oval of her face to his, the shadows caressing her lovely features, and recognition struck with another fierce jolt. Those eyes were unforgettable—dark and slanted, framed by the black slash of perfectly arched brows and long, thick lashes.
Fraser’s daughter.
He dropped her hand.
With one glance he took in the rest of her appearance. The mussed hair, the sinful mouth swollen and bruised, the smooth ivory skin marred by the scratch of the other man’s beard.
He saw red, the rush of anger nearly uncontrollable. I should have killed him.
Then his gaze dropped further, and he went stone still. Her cloak had slid back around her shoulders, revealing the torn gown underneath.
His mouth clamped down tight enough to make the muscle in his jaw jump. That wasn’t all that jumped as his body reacted with a primal force. His gaze burned hot on one very large, very beautiful, and very naked breast. Full and round, the creamy ivory flesh tipped with a rosy pink nipple tight with cold.
His gaze lingered only an instant, but it hadn’t gone unnoticed. She gasped and wrapped the cloak around her chest to cover herself.
His mind closed like a trap and his gaze shifted back to her face. Even in the darkness he could see her cheeks heating with embarrassment. Or perhaps it was the heat radiating from him as the simmering anger whipped into a maelstrom.
“What are you doing out here?” he snapped. “Dressed like this?” It wasn’t difficult to see why she’d been mistaken for a serving girl.
Her eyes widened at his tone, but he was too furious to stop. He took a step closer, looming over her. The soft scent of flowers wafted through the air, and he had to fight against the sudden urge to inhale. She smelled incredible, fresh and innocent. Making what had just nearly happened ever more outrageous.
His fists clenched at his sides, fighting the urge to shake some sense into her, which she was clearly lacking. “Do you realize the danger you were in? Do you know what could have happened?”
She nodded furiously, seeming to shrink away from him.
Damn. He was scaring her.
What the hell was wrong with him? He couldn’t recall ever losing his temper with a woman before. Even with his sister Muriel, and that headstrong termagant would try the patience of a saint—and he was far from a saint.
He stepped back, dragged a hand through his hair, and fought to control his anger. Anger that didn’t make sense. The lass was no concern of his.
He stripped the rage from his face, schooling his features into their usual cool implacability. “You know who I am?” he asked in a far more even tone.
She nodded and ventured another quick glance from under those long lashes—the coy, womanly gesture made all the more seductive by its utter innocence. Her blush intensified.
“Why are you out here alone?” he repeated. “Where are your attendants?” She could ask the same thing of him. It was rare for a chief to be without his large retinue, but Tor had left his men at the hall to find MacDonald.
“I—I had to run an errand.” Her hands twisted nervously. “It took longer than I expected.”
She was lying.
“Dressed like that?” Tor knew little of women’s fashion, but even he could tell the difference between the fine ensemble she’d worn earlier and what she had on now. She’d also removed the jeweled headpiece she’d worn to the feast, as well as the expensive pearl earrings and necklace. Clearly, she was attempting to disguise herself. The question was why.
“I didn’t want to get my good clothes dirty.” She pointed to the damp hem of her gown, where he could see the tip of one dainty foot covered in mud.
“You expect me to believe that?” He crossed his arms and gave her a long, penetrating stare, waiting.
She squirmed guiltily, but to her credit didn’t yield. He knew men who had withered under less. The fear she’d shown earlier seemed to be forgotten.
“What errand to the village could be so important?” he asked, noticing the sand that was mixed with the mud.
Her eyes avoided his and the hand twisting intensified. The lass was a horrible liar. “Please,” she beseeched, “it’s a personal matter.”
He studied her a moment longer, wanting to question her further. She was up to something and he was curious—too curious. But, he reminded himself, it wasn’t any of his concern, nor did he want to get involved. Her actions tonight proved what he already knew: A girl like this was trouble. Naïve and vulnerable, despite her sensual appearance. She was the kind of woman a man would have to keep an eye on. He was glad she wasn’t his responsibility, but someone should be watching her more carefully. “Does your father know you are out here?”
She blanched, fear returning to her delicate features. “Please.” He was surprised when she placed her hand on his arm. “I beg of you not to say anything.”
She looked very young, very innocent, and very scared. It was a surprisingly powerful combination.
He gazed down into those softly imploring eyes and felt a strange discomfort near his lungs that made him wonder if he’d eaten too much at the feast.
“Please,” she begged again, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.
He stiffened, every muscle, every nerve ending reacting to her gentle touch. He’d felt the blade of a sword less intensely.
As if just realizing what she was doing, she yanked her hand back and dropped her gaze to her toes.
Clearly, she was embarrassed to have touched him so familiarly. In truth, he didn’t know what to make of it. He cleared his voice and said, “Your father can see to it that the man is punished for what he tried to do.”
I would kill him.
“No, please.” He could hear the panic in her voice. “I just want to forget this happened. If you say something to my father it would only make him angry.” With her, she meant. And the notion clearly terrified her.
His face darkened, guessing why. Did Fraser take his anger out on his daughters? Every instinct in his body recoiled at the idea. “Does he beat you?”
“No,” she said quickly.
Too quickly. He shouldn’t have asked. He erected the wall back in his mind. Not your concern. This girl was not for him. And he did not need to add to her troubles. “I’ll keep your secret, but only if you give me your word that you’ll not leave the castle again without attendants.”
He almost reconsidered when he saw her expression. She was looking at him as if he’d just slain a dragon, her dark eyes shimmering with gratitude, her incredible mouth curved into a wide smile. The effect was striking. She wasn’t simply beautiful, she was radiant. But that look in her eye made him uneasy.
“Do you mean it?” she said. “You won’t say anything?”
“Not if you agree.”
“Oh, I do, I do.” And without realizing what she was doing, she threw her arms around him in a childlike embrace, her soft cheek pressed against the plaid he wore around his shoulders. “Thank you. I swear I won’t do anything like this again.”
Tor felt as if he’d just been pole-axed, the spontaneous gesture completely disarming him. A foreign feeling for a man who’d never been defeated in battle.
He caught her to him, instinctively sliding his arm around her waist. He inhaled. Damn, she smelled good.
He heard her sharp intake of breath, and when she gazed up into his eyes, he didn’t know who was more surprised.
Overcome with gratitude, not only for saving her from that horrible man but also for agreeing to keep her secret, Christina reacted unthinkingly, embracing him as she would have her sister.
Except that very clearly he wasn’t her sister. For a moment she felt a tremor of fear.
His body was big and hard and about as yielding as granite. It felt as if she’d raced headlong into another stone wall. A warm stone wall that smelled not of Beatrix’s rose water but of something dark, spicy, and definitively masculine. The warmth and heady scent engulfed her senses. She couldn’t breathe, lost in the depths of the most amazingly blue eyes she’d ever seen.
The fear subsided as her body flooded with heat and awareness. Awareness of how small she felt in his arms and of how closely he was holding her. Awareness of how her breasts tingled against the hard plane of his chest. Awareness of the rocklike bulge of his arm muscles holding her and of the strength of his big hand on her waist. He could crush her without thought, yet he held her with surprising gentleness.
He seemed just as stunned as she was, at first, but then his gaze sharpened—intensified—in a way that should have alarmed her. It felt as if he was burning a hole into her. She couldn’t tear her eyes away. The connection was so strong, it seemed as if she’d been caught in a current that was dragging her out to sea. A sea of deep cerulean blue, framed by dark lashes fringed with gold, set in a face far more handsome than she’d first realized.
Brutally handsome, like some bronze Norse god of war—hard, forbidding, and built for destruction. Not just in his towering, muscular physique, but also in the strong angles of his face that might have been hewn from stone.
It was the strangest thing. Despite his ferocity, she had an urge to reach up and trace her finger down the hard lines of his cheek and jaw. His face was so expertly chiseled, it almost didn’t look real.
There was nothing refined or classical about his features—from the deep-set eyes hooded beneath the heavy, dark brow, to the strong nose widened at the bridge where it must have been broken, to the high cheekbones that descended in a sharp angle to a square jaw, to the softly sculpted wide mouth—yet the combined effect was raw, masculine perfection.
But clearly that of a warrior. Up close she could see the stamp of battles waged on his face. A thin scar bisected his right eyebrow, and a longer one ran down his cheek to the top edge of his lip. She thought he had another on his chin, but the slight indentation had come from the thumb of God, not a weapon.
His skin was darkly tanned except for the tiny white lines etched around eyes and mouth. He was relatively clean-shaven, the dark shadow of a day-old beard emphasizing the hard, implacable jaw, and his hair, worn shorter than most of the men, fell in soft, uneven waves to his chin. It should be brown, but for the bleaching by the sun.
He was gorgeous. The most physically striking man she’d ever seen. And she’d read too many books not to be affected by a handsome knight.
Apparently, she wasn’t alone in her thoughts. His gaze dropped to her mouth.
Her lips parted in a soft gasp. He was going to kiss her. She waited, her heart fluttering wildly, like the wings of a bird in a cage frantic to get out. She was scared, but not scared—her body warring with her mind. Could she actually want him to kiss her?
She’d never been kissed before, but his mouth looked so soft compared to the rest of him. It was all that she could think about. Unconsciously, she leaned closer, anticipation shivering down her spine. Her nipples beaded against his chest.
His gaze darkened with something she didn’t recognize. She thought his hold on her tightened for an instant before he stilled, and then released her so quickly that she wondered if she’d only imagined it.
“Return to your room,” he said gruffly. “You’ve had enough trouble for the night.”
All at once she realized what she’d done. Her face flooded with mortified heat. She’d embraced not only a stranger but a fierce warlord. How could she have so forgotten herself after what had just happened?
By all rights she should be far more terrified of this man than of the one who’d attacked her. He was bigger, stronger, and after what she’d witnessed of the sword fight earlier, far more dangerous. One look at his face had sent her attacker running scared.
Why wasn’t she scared? She had been at first when he’d been so angry, but the moment he sensed her fear, he’d controlled it so effortlessly that she knew she wasn’t in danger. It was so different from her father’s unpredictability.
Despite the improbability of the situation, and with what she knew of these Island warriors, she felt safe with him. Not just because he’d saved her—though that was part of it. It was something in his voice and noble bearing. In the deep, masculine tones and calm authority that resonated with every word and in the regal pride with which he carried himself. Instinctively, at some base level, she trusted him. How else could she explain what she’d just done?
And it seemed that trust was well placed. He’d wanted to kiss her but let her go. He was too honorable to take advantage of her.
But what must he think of her? She was here to be presented to him as a possible bride. Would he want such a forward woman for a wife? And why did she care, when she had no intention of marrying him?
“Forgive me,” she said horrified. “I don’t know what came over me. It’s just that I was so grateful for what you did earlier by saving—”
“It was nothing,” he said curtly.
Nothing? His ready dismissal took her aback. But he’d saved her. Just like the knights in her stories.
Christina tilted her head to the side, confused. For a moment it sounded as though he was giving her a warning, until understanding dawned and she recognized the knightly gesture. Of course! He was simply being modest.
“It was to me,” she said with a shy smile. If it hadn’t started out being so horrible, it might have been the most romantic thing that had ever happened to her. It wasn’t every day a handsome knight saved her from the clutches of evil.
His face hardened. “Go,” he said stiffly.
Not quite understanding his brusqueness, she gave him one more tentative smile before racing up the stairs. When she reached the top, she turned to thank him again. “I …”
But her voice disappeared into the void of darkness. He was already gone.
It wasn’t until later that she would understand why.