I stood still.
The water dripped from my hair. My skin still glowed faintly, markings humming beneath the surface. The silence around me wasn’t peaceful—it was coiled. Like a held breath.
I was naked. But I didn’t feel cold. I didn’t feel… anything. Not properly.
And their eyes—
God, they were staring.
Kai.
Kylan.
Kieran.
They stood frozen near the edge of the spring, all three looking like they wanted to move closer but didn’t dare.
“She’s not… blinking,” Kylan muttered.
“She’s not Briar,” Kai replied, his voice low and sharp.
Something twitched in my chest. I didn’t know if it was anger or sadness. Something flickered. I looked down at the water swirling around my waist. It was still listening. Ready.
“What if she screams again?” Kylan whispered. “What if she vaporizes us this time?”
I looked up slowly.
Kai didn’t move. “Then we hope she remembers who we are before it happens.”
Kylan turned to him. “Oh great. Hope. Yeah, that’ll totally keep our bodies from turning to smoke.”
“Be qu
