Kieran’s eyes narrowed, a glare simmering beneath the surface—
feral, defensive, wounded pride rising like smoke.
We left him on the ledge, Sy guiding me back toward the cave.
When we were a few steps in, Sy leaned down, bringing his voice to the barest whisper beside my ear. His breath was warm, his words, ice.
“Be careful around that one, little one.”
A pause. Heavy. Ancient.
“There is a darkness in his heart I do not trust.”
“I will, Sy,” I whispered back. “Thank you.”
He nudged me gently, a faint, sorrowful hint of affection in the gesture—as if he already saw the path unfolding…
and wished he could spare me from walking it.
Dev and Ash were already awake, and soon after we’d eaten, we began the walk back toward the Institute.
I walked beside them—Ash on my left, Dev on my right—my thoughts a storm of tangled threads.
Kieran trailed behind us.
Sy had chosen not to return, promising he would see me later.
With every step closer to Darkmoor, something twisted in my gut. A slow, cold coil tightening.
“Are you okay?” Dev murmured.
I gave him a watery smile. “I’m fine.”
It was a lie.
In my head, the nightmare replayed again and again—every image sharp, vivid, burned into bone.
Terrifying, yes.
But worse than terrifying:
It had felt real.
I thought of Echo.
Without Jess and me, she must be frantic, terrified, alone.
And though I hadn’t been at Darkmoor long, I felt her inside me—woven into my fear, my instincts, my heartbeat.
I wanted to protect her.
Ridiculous. She was just a ghost.
…wasn’t she?
I barely noticed the line of vans and security cars in the parking lot.
I barely registered the stiffness in Ash’s shoulders or the way Dev’s eyes narrowed at the sight of so many Council uniforms.
