Evaline:
For a long moment, I couldn't breathe. Couldn't blink. Couldn't even fully comprehend what my eyes were taking in. My feet felt fused to the stone beneath them, as if the place itself had decided I wasn't allowed to move forward... or backward.
Then I felt Kieran shift beside me.
His shoulder brushed mine as he stepped closer, his presence solid and grounding, and I knew the exact moment his gaze finally landed on it. His entire body went rigid, the hand that had been resting at my waist tightening ever so slightly.
Before either of us could speak, warmth wrapped around my hand.
Oscar.
His fingers slid into mine, firm and steady, and without a word he began guiding me down the remaining stairs. I let him pull me forward, my legs moving on instinct rather than conscious command. Kieran followed immediately behind us, close enough that I could feel the heat of him at my back.
Within seconds, the three of us were standing beside River at the bottom of the stairway.
