Mira's blood ran cold at the sound of Aurelian's voice.
Every instinct in her body was screaming at her to run. To bolt for the door and never look back. But she knew deep in her bones that running would be a death sentence.
She forced her body to move, slowly pushing herself up from where she'd been kneeling by the trapdoor. Like she'd just been examining the floorboards, not discovering a hidden prison with someone trapped inside.
She brushed imaginary dust from her dress with shaking hands. Tried to make her movements look casual, normal, even though her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest.
She turned to face him. Arranged her features into what she hoped looked like mild surprise instead of gut-wrenching terror.
"Uh… uh... You startled me."
