Eden Grace

The golden warmth of the afternoon sun spilled across Eden's face, soaking through her skin like a slow, forgotten fever.

​For the first time in what felt like a lifetime, the air didn't taste like dust and stone. It smelled of crushed clover, damp earth, and blooming white jasmine.

Eden kept her eyes closed, letting the natural heat sink deep into her bruised bones, washing over the lingering chill of his oppressive magic.

​For one terrifying, fleeting second, Eden felt something painfully close to peace.

"Do you like it here?" Cassian’s voice rasped against the shell of her ear, instantly shattering the fragile warmth.

Eden opened her eyes,...