Elena’s POV

The moment I stepped off the plane, the cold air rushed into my lungs like a blade, sharp enough to make me gasp. The airport was bright and orderly, voices overlapping in multiple languages, yet everything felt strangely muted to me, as though I were walking through a layer of glass that separated me from the world.

I didn’t look back.

I knew Damien would still be behind me, calm and unhurried, surrounded by people who revolved around him as naturally as planets around a sun. ...