Jaelen saw the fear in her eyes, and it sent a wave of satisfaction through him. The corner of his mouth twitched up in the hint of a smirk. He looked her over now that he was close to her, and was surprised to find she smelled of woodsmoke and the forest. He wasn't sure what he smelled like, probably the parchment of old books as he poured over spell tomes.
When she closed her eyes, something about her changed. He almost didn't catch it, and he frowned. What had she done? Then he realized it was her dress, the fabric around her shoulders had shifted slightly.
He tightened his grip on her throat. Not cutting off her airflow, but definitely applying pressure. "Just leave it off," he said in a low tone.