. I stood at the edge of the room, one hand gripping the cold sill, my eyes trained on the sprawling grounds outside. The

didn't have to turn to know it was Drusilla. Her presence was

me out sharper than I intended

doesn't work like that, my king," she

enough to catch her eyes-pale, stormy

ered out the window, though I doubted she saw the view. "Time is n

My words w

" she said after a pa

forced a humorless chuckle, trying to mask the anger that threatened to bo

d nothing. Her silence on

ttered. "I'll go. But

t, relief glimmered in her eyes. "You'll un

-

mooth hum of the engine barely registering as Mateo drove us

the rearview mirror. "What a

ore answering, my voi

the wheel, and the car swerve

voice low with disbelief. "I t

bates," I cut him off, gl

essive, broken only by the occasiona

My chest tightened, and a sharp, unfamiliar ache radiated through me. It

" I ordered, m

pushed open the door and stepped out, the cool forest air hitting me

ce was edged with conc

rying to steady my

, her expression unreadable. "

-

A modest building, unimpressive by any standard. Yet as we appr

to the scene unfolding outside the window. Mateo had a boy-scrawny, glasses aske

I saw

Her voice was muffled through the glass, but her intent was clear as she swun

said to Mateo through the mind link, s

he shot back, though there was

irely on the girl. There was something about

er hood slipped, revealing her face,

rning tenfold. But with it came an overwhelming sense o

eo through the link, my voice

ckly to help the boy. Her hands were gentle, but her

emed to

was an innocence to it-a sharp contrast to the

t unbearable. Every instinct screamed at me to follow

hrough the fog. "Do you

swer her. I

was rendered utterly speechless. And for the first