Scarlett’s POV

The night is thick and heavy around me, as if the darkness itself is holding its breath. My hands tremble as I sit cross-legged in the center of the room, the remnants of the ancestral stone attack still buzzing through my veins. My healer’s core shivers violently—unstable, fraying at the edges—and I grit my teeth, forcing control. I have to stabilize it. I have to.

Killian doesn’t leave my side. His presence is a constant, warm pressure against my senses. Every so ...