slow, dying heartbeat, but inside Ariell

ething had shifted - inside her, around her. She felt it in her bones. In th

feet, each step deliberate, each t

he said she had been som

ng to survive, scraping together pennies for rent and praying her

t had drunk her blood

r palm again. No woun

my mind," sh

hat wasn't tru

s were fractured, bouncing between Lucien's b

otten what you ar

ngs felt right anymore. What she felt was... awakening. As though somethi

and made her way down to the streets, craving movement,

ws, the creak of doors two blocks away, the flutter o

. she could feel them. Em

long scar down the side of his face. He wore a black coat an

didn't

wrongness radiating

mp

w how she knew

opped

did

eyes

idn't exist. No honking ca

weight of

flicker o

anis

t nearly

ind her, but the street was full of oblivious s

hell was

dy found her," L

one, his voice like fire rolling over velvet. Behind hi

men this morning," he co

named Silas, grimaced. "How? They were

Following the whispers. She's lighting up like a flare now. Eve

wiry vampire with silver eyes

led, slow

little first. Let her power start to wake. When I tak

t, Arielle stood in

ize the woman sta

ff her bike at ten. But something in the mirror's reflection moved - a

aned c

s when it

or a second. From round to

, stumblin

the he

mething snapp

pun a

e room, slamming papers and curtains in wild c

y h

re from t

ck coat. Eyes the

he broken glass like

tbeat exploded

said softly, his voice sha

di

was - but because her body refused. It

he vampire said. "But your blood

ak, but her thro

sed hi

ly," he said. "Or I c

ight explode

ly - Lucie

ng like the sun at midn

y r

the rules,"

hissed. "She's unm

ckward, crashing through the opposite wall with the crack of bone and plaster. Lucien was on him in sec

if he touched her," Lucien snar

nd - Lucien drove his fist stra

oded int

ce fo

ust from his coat, his golden e

the room, her lips trembling, h

ed towa

d him," sh

o take you," Lu

head. "I didn'

e born f

't wan

d inches

ou nee

eyes, and hated that part of her did. T

w?" she

ice dropped

flame... you