KANE

The sky was a bruised shade of purple, and the wind coming off the lake felt like a serrated blade. We stood on the edge of the family plot, a sea of black umbrellas and stiff wool coats. The air smelled of damp earth and the heavy, cloying scent of too many lilies. It was a grim, autumn affair, the kind where the cold doesn't just touch your skin but settles deep into your marrow.

I felt Aria trembling beside me. I shifted my stance, blocking the worst of the wind with my body. She ...