Rhett’s too still. That’s what catches my attention first—he’s always moving, shifting, drumming fingers or bouncing his leg. Now he’s locked in place, arms folded tight across his chest, jaw set like he’s biting down on words that want to escape. When Stellan’s name comes up, Rhett’s mouth opens like he’s about to say something, then snaps shut. His gaze flicks toward the hallway once, quick and sharp, then back to the floor.
Something’s eating at him beyond the obvious.
Thane breaks the silence first, which surprises me. I expected Jace to crack a joke or Theo to offer some philosophical insight. Instead, it’s the vampire who clears his throat and starts talking—not about the bond, but about magic.
“Her power is accelerating,” he says, voice carefully neutral. “The Ether responds to her without conscious intent now. Physical changes to the sanctuary, objects shifting in response to her emotions.” He pauses, silver eyes scanning the room. “The restoration happening here—it’s faster than anything I’ve seen. And it’s because she’s here.”
“So what happens if she leaves?” Wes blurts out, then immediately looks like he wishes he could take it back.
No one answers right away. That question sits in the room like a live grenade.
Rhett’s watching Thane through narrowed eyes—not suspicious, exactly, but like he’s putting pieces together and doesn’t like the picture they’re making.
“We all know what this is,” Theo says quietly, leaning forward in his chair. He doesn’t sayvision, but there’s that Seer certainty in his voice that means he’s seen something. “We’re all tied to her now. Magic’s making it stronger. If we can’t get past the pissing matches and figure out how to make it work, it’s going to break before it bonds.”
Jace nods, surprisingly serious. “He’s right. And it won’t be her fault when it happens.”
Wes stays quiet, but his shoulders are tense. He glances at Stellan, then away again—and there’s something in that look I can’t quite read. Not anger, but discomfort mixed with something possessive.
That’s when I catch it—the smallest flicker of eye contact between Thane and Wes. Silent. Loaded. Gone before I can interpret it, but it leaves me uneasy.
Something’s going on there.
Rhett’s head turns at the exact same moment, like he noticed it too. But he looks away quickly, lips pressed in a thin line.
“The Council knows about the surge,” Thane continues, his voice cutting through my observations. “They felt it everywhere. They know it came from this realm.” He pauses, and for the first time since I’ve known him, he looks almost… uncertain. “I was sent to assess her. But that’s not what I’m doing now.”
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Trying to keep her alive.” The words are flat, matter-of-fact. “They won’t stop until they have her or destroy her. And after the meeting I got pulled into last night—” He stops himself, jaw ticking. “They’re sending Phil.”
“They’re not touching her,” Jace says immediately, with a fierceness that surprises no one.
Thane gives him the faintest smirk—almost approval—but doesn’t comment.
That’s when Zira walks in.
She strolls into the middle of our crisis completely unbothered, heads straight for Jace, and plucks the piece of bread right out of his hand. Takes a bite, chews thoughtfully, then looks around at all of us with raised eyebrows.
“You boys look like someone died,” she says around the bread. “What’d I miss?”
Jace glares at her. “That was mine.”
“Was being the operative phrase.” She takes another bite, ignoring his outrage completely.
The tension breaks for a moment—just a moment—but no one actually answers her question. She wanders over to the food table, still snacking, apparently content to figure it out herself.
“There’s more you need to know,” Thane says once she’s out of immediate earshot. His voice drops lower, more urgent. “I overheard something last night that could change everything. About Seth—”
The scream cuts through the sanctuary like a blade.
Raw. Terrified. Unmistakably Bree.
I’m moving before the sound fully registers, chair crashing behind me as I bolt for the door. Rhett’s already there, Wes right beside him, but I’m close enough to feel the heat radiating off Rhett’s skin—his fire responding to the fear in her voice.
“Her room,” Thane says, appearing at my shoulder with that unsettling vampire speed. His controlled mask has cracked completely, silver eyes sharp with something that looks almost like panic.
We rush through the corridors, footsteps echoing off stone. Zira’s voice carries behind us, muttering something that sounds like “really, really bad” between breaths.
