'That's not my name,'
"I have a hunch you wouldn't want to tell me your real name," he replied with a smirk. "So Damsel it is."
She opened her mouth to argue, but closed it just as quickly. He wasn't wrong. And something about the way he said it—as if it was a secret pet name only he got to use—made her cheeks flush anew.
He carried her just a bit further, his strides long and effortless.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper.
Sebastian glanced down at her, eyes dancing. "Since you won't tell me what you're doing out here, let me show you something instead."
Before she could ask more, he slowed, then stopped in a small, natural alcove encircled by large stones and towering tree roots. Moonlight filtered down in streaks like silver threads woven through leaves. The air was colder here, but still—the space felt hidden. Sacred, almost.
She blinked. "What is this—?"
