Elena’s POV

A sudden tightness seized my chest, sharp enough that for a brief moment I forgot how to breathe.

It came without warning, like an invisible hand closing around my heart, and by the time I noticed the strange, feverish glint flickering in Matthews’ eyes, it was already too late to stop what was about to happen.

He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to.

All it took was a brief exchange of looks between him and Elder Scarlett—so quick that most people would have missed it, ...