I wake to the sound of voices.
Not whispers this time…shouting.
My brothers.
The air feels heavy the moment I open my eyes. It’s early morning, the kind of gray dawn that makes the world look hollow. My mark still aches faintly, a dull throb beneath the skin, but it’s not what pulls me out of bed. It’s the tension in the house. The unmistakable sound of people arguing about me.
I move quietly down the hall. The closer I get, the sharper their voices become.
Kael’s the loudest. Of course he is.
“She’s not herself anymore, Ryn! You saw her eyes last night!”
I stop just before the doorway, heart thudding.
Ryn fires back, “That doesn’t mean she’s dangerous.”
“Doesn’t mean she’s not.” Kael growls. “We can’t ignore what’s happening. She’s changing, and not in a way we understand.”
I ca
