Caroline's chest ached with the knowledge that she could do nothing while Casimir was imprisoned. The temperature of the air began to drop making the hair on her skin stand. She had been trapped in the Evergreen Glade for what felt like weeks, isolated, watched and often alone.
Although, she was surrounded by the beauty of nature itself, it did little to ease the burden she carried. She had tried to remain calm but every hour that passed felt like she was drowning in anxiety and despair.
She hadn't expected to hear his voice again. Not after the fear of losing him had consumed her so completely. She had felt the pull of the cord inside her like a whisper of comfort to her erratic heart and mind.
Her fingers trembled as she pressed them against the bark of a tree. The frost came without warning, creeping up her fingertips and trailing up the tree trunk like a winding vine.
