Maya woke up late. The light was already bright through the curtains. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and sighed. Her head hurt a little. She hadn’t slept well at all.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Jax. The library. His words. The way he looked at her. She hated how much it stuck with her. He said she could read any book. Normal words, but they didn’t feel normal. They carried something else.

She sat up. The smell of the room was strong, like wood and pine. It wasn’t home. It ...