Ember Frost’s POV

“That’s right.” I stared at the fresh markings on the stone. For a split second, I could’ve sworn the wall shifted just barely, like something underneath had rolled over.

No one spoke. Not because there was nothing to say, but because every thought felt useless. What was happening here went beyond instinct. There was no proper way to explain it, and trying to make sense of it felt pointless.

“What if we’ve been wrong from the start?” Orion said slowly, ...