I woke with a gasp, cold air stinging my lungs, my body trembling from the fight inside the Door. The world around me felt sharper, every sound louder, every shadow darker. My magic thrummed in my veins, threads of silver and gold pulsing with every heartbeat. I was free, finally, but not safe. Not yet.
Something was wrong.
A weight pressed at the edge of my mind, not Jesse’s, not the old shadow I had destroyed. It was alive, almost sentient, probing, testing me. My fingers tingled as I instinctively raised small threads of energy, flicking them through the air. They hissed in response, reacting to the presence.
I pushed myself upright, knees weak, eyes scanning the forest surrounding Crescent Vale. The ruins of our packhouse lay behind me, jagged stones and splintered wood catching the
