"The Tear," I said.
"Where—"
"Here." He pressed my hand against my chest.
I felt it. Inside me. No longer a separate object. It had merged with my essence completely. Became part of me at a cellular level.
And I could feel its power. Enormous. Terrifying. Waiting to be used.
Hello, I thought about it.
It didn't answer in words. But I felt its acknowledgment. Like a sleeping dragon opening one eye.
We're going to have rules, I told them firmly. I'm in charge. Not you. Understood?
A pulse of... amusement? Agreement? Hard to tell.
Good enough.
"Sophia?" Kael's hand touched my face. "Your eyes just went ice-blue for a second."
"That's going to happen sometimes." I focused on him. On his silver-blue eyes that saw right through me. "The tear is part of me now. Like the Moonbane magic.
