*Esmerelda*

I stared in horror up at Richard as I processed his words. Punished?

Even more concerning than his threat, however, was a smell that wafted toward me right after he stood up. It was a smell that I hadn’t experienced often, but I couldn’t get the salty and almost rusty scent out of my mind.

Blood…

My heart raced, my body tightening as if preparing itself to flee from the scene. Why was I smelling blood? I hadn’t encountered that ...