She snapped her fingers, silencing the shifters behind her. My shoulders stiffened. I didn’t want to be left alone with her, especially with those shifters seemingly at her beck and call. Even if it was simply to talk—about what I couldn’t even fathom.

“Absolutely not.” Zaine stepped in front of me again, Kaius coming around to herd me over while staying in front of the shifter still on the floor. “What is going on, Mother? Why are you here? Where’s ...