The manor was too quiet. By day, Gabriel trained me, hands firm on my arms, correcting my stance, pushing me to control the power that I barely understood. By night, Paxton watched, standing at the edge of my room like a shadow I couldn’t escape. Neither would leave. Neither would stop bothering me, even though they already agreed to stop fighting each other.

I tried to focus on the drills, on controlling the glow under my skin, but the whispers came again. They were older this time, ...