They landed hard.
Ash stumbled forward a step, boots dragging on old stone. The light vanished in a snap, leaving only warm firelight and the scent of lavender and old parchment.
He blinked.
This was… Desmond’s bedroom. Somehow, the portal had dropped them right into the heart of Arcum’s castle—magically protected, quiet, hidden away from the chaos outside.
Desmond exhaled sharply beside him, his chest rising and falling. His hands slowly loosened from Ash’s tunic, and then h