POV: Ivy

The first thing that unsettled me was waking up without fear. I opened my eyes and waited for it. The tight feeling in my chest. The instinct to reach for power. The need to check on Rick, on Lucien, on the land. It didn’t come.

I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling of our room, listening.

Nothing was wrong.

That should have felt good. Instead, it felt unfamiliar.

“You’re awake,” Lucien said quietly beside me.

I turned my head. He was already sitting up, pulling on ...