Chapter 19: Understanding...
"In case you’re planning to kidnap me," Emerald said as Lucian parked near the edge of a sloping cliff road, surrounded by nothing but trees and stone, "this would be the perfect setting."
Lucian glanced over at her, one brow raised. "If I was planning to kidnap you, Emerald," he said with dry amusement, "I’d start with silk ropes, not off-road terrain and a crumbling path."
She huffed a short laugh, surprised at herself. "You’ve got the mood for it."
He stepped out and opened her door. "I prefer to be invited in."
Emerald gave him a sidelong glance as she took his hand and stepped out into the dappled sunlight. The air here felt fresh and clean, with a strong scent of pine needles and earth, quite different from the air back at her estate.
Lucian led her down a narrow trail, through twisted oaks and mossy stone arches. He didn’t speak often, but when he did, it was purposeful.
His presence alone was... grounding, even in silence.
They rounded a corner, ducking through a small stone crevice that looked barely wide enough to pass through, and then Emerald gasped.
Before her stretched a hidden underground garden.
The space was tucked into the base of a small mountain, partly open to the sky but sheltered by natural overhangs and vines. Bright clusters of wildflowers bloomed in striking colours: violet, blue, and deep crimson.
A soft, silvery mist hung low over the ground, and faint light shimmered off the rocks and leaves, making the place feel otherworldly.