“Your eyes,” I breathe. “They just?—”
“What?” Brynn glances between us.
I gesture toward Chad's face. “They turned red.”
Brynn shrugs one shoulder. “Right. Darkbirch's perfect soldier is half-demon. Surprise.”
My mouth falls open. “Half-demon?”
“Nobody at the academy knows,” Chad mutters, suddenly fascinated with his boot heel scraping against stone. “Been managing it since I was thirteen.”
“Until I was cornered and—” Brynn starts.
“Nearly died,” I finish, studying Chad with new eyes. “Your powers respond to emotion too.”
He gives a humorless laugh. “Universal constant, isn't it?”
Something protective flashes across his face when he glances at my sister. There's some history there I'm not privy to, questions for another time.
“How did you even find me?” I ask. “Where's everyone else?”
Brynn's lips quirk into that familiar crooked smile that always preceded trouble when we were kids. “That's... complicated. Think less 'rescue mission' and more 'magical catastrophe with bonus civil war.'”
My stomach drops as she outlines what's happened since my abduction: darkbloods versus clearbloods, factions splintering, and everyone hunting desperately for the dragon who took me.
Brynn's voice drops to a whisper. “The coven's been buzzing with gossip about you and the dragon prince, but nobody knows what's true. Esther's spirit vanished after Heathborne. Our ancestral connections are... fragmented. I've managed to reach Helena, Angus, and Ezekiel occasionally, but they flicker like bad reception.”
My jaw slackens.
Chad catches my expression and his lips curl into a half-smile. “Your little bookworm sister started summoning Salem ancestors. Not Esme-level spirit skills, but impressive nonetheless.”
“You're summoning?” The words tumble out before I can stop them.
Brynn's fingers tighten around the hem of her sleeve. “Problem?”
I search my emotions and find only surprise. This is the same sister who used to hide in the library during practical sessions, who collected ancient tomes while I collected combat badges. The gap between us had widened with each elder's praise for me and corresponding sigh for her.
“Not at all,” I say softly. “I just wish I'd known.”
“Hard to share news when you're never around.” She shrugs one shoulder, her gaze fixed on a point beyond my head. “It's recent anyway. The connections aren't as strong as your Esther link?—”
“That 'link' might be more curse than blessing,” I mutter, Esther's manipulations bubbling to the top of my mind.She’s ultimately how I got in this mess.I still can’t believe she pressured me into drinking Dayn’s blood with zero warning about its repercussions.
“But you summoning Salem ancestors now?” I continue. “That's... impressive. Ezekiel, Angus, and Helena were brilliant strategists.” My voice drops to a whisper. “And you always did memorize the family grimoires.”
Something shifts in Brynn's expression—the faintest crack in her usual armor. “Hmph.”
I gesture at our surroundings. “And this ‘rescue mission’? Complete madness. You could've been incinerated on the spot.”
“Mom's going to murder us anyway.” Brynn sighs. “Jax isstillunconscious. Darkbirch's falling apart. And the clearbloods?—”
“Total chaos,” I finish. “Everyone's hunting for Dayn, including his own people.”
Chad's jaw tightens. “And what exactly does that mean for us?”
“It means we're screwed. Dayn married me to prevent my execution, then vanished after our wedding when I caught his brother plotting something.” I exhale shakily, lungs burning.
Brynn stares at me. “The dragons here... they think you killed him.”
