ence

ric sat across from me, clutching his bleeding forehead, his

ress, I produced a slender silver needle, as fine as a strand of

in alarm. "What do y

orking, my advanced knowledge of biology allowing me t

road, lurching violently as it e

as my

lver needle found its mark, sliding precisely

g against the velvet seat. His entire body was para

hispered. "It's only temporary. You should be thanking me. This is far

tains. Buried in my memories was a place-New Moon Manor, an abandoned

rn at the edge of a cliff,

ged Alaric out of the carr

orced the driver to guide the horses until the wheels of

atisfying shove

he carriage, a final, crashing symphony

uide me toward New Moon Manor. The terrain was difficult, but my past life as a speci

it-an ancient manor shro

traps on the manor's perimeter and found th

erbs, exactly what I needed to

gown, ready to step

I st

years of survival,

He sat with his back to me, his broad shoulders and the

sanctuary w

reeping closer to i

presence, the m

rp and deep they looked carved from stone. A pair of dark

pressed into a thin line, as i

ing, his legs submerged in the water. Beside

e. "Who are you? And what

face before moving on. His tone was flat, yet held an unquestionable authority. "Your sp

the one place I thought I

he night's exertions, surged again.

t into that

man before me and knew th