Chapter 36

• The door slammed shut behind Freya, and the chamber was suddenly too quiet. Aria stood still, her breath shallow, the sting of the encounter still burning in her chest like a fading ember. Her hand trembled slightly at her side, though her face remained composed at least on the surface.
• Outside, footsteps thundered in the corridor, rapid and disoriented. Then, another set followed, slower, more deliberate. The door creaked open again, and Dante stepped through.
• He paused just inside the threshold, frowning. "She nearly knocked me over," he said, eyes sweeping across the room. "What happened here?"