Se connecterEmily stirred softly against Damien’s shoulder as the cool morning breeze brushed across her face. Her fingers tightened slightly around the fabric of his jacket before her eyes slowly opened. For a moment, she looked dazed from sleep, still caught between exhaustion and reality, but then the sound of water reached her fully, along with the steady rocking beneath her feet.She lifted her head slowly.The boat moved smoothly across the ocean as the first streaks of sunlight spread over the horizon. Golden light reflected beautifully against the water, turning the waves into shimmering ribbons of orange and gold. Ahead of them, an island slowly appeared through the fading morning mist, lined with tall coconut trees swaying gently in the wind.Emily blinked twice, fully awake now.“Wow,” she whispered softly.Damien looked down at her, a faint smile touching his face.“We’re almost there.”Emily straightened slightly, pulling the blanket closer around herself as she looked toward the isl
Emily sat near the fireplace with a blanket wrapped loosely around her shoulders, her fingers curled around a warm mug Rafael had insisted she hold even after she told him she was fine.The cabin carried the lingering scent of smoke long after the agents had left.It clung lightly to the wooden walls and drifted through the air in soft waves as Rafael moved around the room, opening one of the windows to let the cold night breeze in. The fire in the hearth had settled into a calmer burn, its warmth spreading gently through the cabin again while the silence around them slowly softened.For the first time in Emily’s life, fine actually felt possible.And somehow, that realization alone overwhelmed her more than the attack had.Her gaze drifted slowly across the room.To Zane.Then to Damien.The feeling returned immediately.Clear.Alive.She could sense them both now, though differently. Zane’s presence felt steady and familiar, like warmth returning to a home that had waited patiently
Emily clutched Damien’s hand as the smoke thickened around them, her fingers tightening with each breath that came shorter than the last. The air pressed against her chest, warm and heavy, and for a moment the room around her blurred into something else entirely.“I can hear them,” she said, her voice trembling as her gaze shifted past the walls of the cabin, past the present, into something that felt too close to memory.Zane stood near the broken window, his head slightly tilted as if listening to something far beyond the ordinary.“There are eight,” he said. “Maybe nine. Their heartbeats are steady. They’re moving in formation.”Damien’s grip on Emily’s hand tightened slightly.“Can we take them?” he asked.Zane’s lips curved faintly, something confident settling into his stance.“Easily.”Damien nodded once, then turned toward Rafael.“Take care of her,” he said.Rafael stepped forward immediately, his hand replacing Damien’s, his touch steady and grounding.“Come with me,” he sai
The fire crackled softly in the hearth, its light stretching across the wooden floor in warm, shifting patterns as Emily leaned forward, her elbows resting lightly on her knees, her hands wrapped around a cup that had long gone untouched.Zane sat across from her, one arm draped along the back of the chair, the other holding his glass loosely as he watched her with a calmer gaze than before. Damien stood just behind him for a moment before lowering himself into a seat, his posture relaxed but attentive, as if he was ready to step in whenever the moment required it.Rafael remained near the fireplace, his hands resting lightly against the back of a chair, his presence quiet but grounding.Emily glanced between them, her eyes softer now, her breathing steady as the weight of everything settled into something she could begin to carry.“You said our parents were healers,” she said, her voice quieter than before but steadier.Zane gave a small nod.“They were,” he said. “Both of them.”Emi
Damien’s hands rested firmly on the wheel, his focus fixed on the road, his posture composed in a way that made everything around him feel controlled, even when the silence inside the car carried weight.The car cut through the narrow road with steady speed, gravel shifting under the tires as the headlights stretched ahead into the dark.Emily sat in the passenger seat, her fingers loosely wrapped around the edge of her sleeve, twisting the fabric slightly without realizing it. Her gaze stayed forward at first, following the line of the road, then shifted to the window, where trees passed in blurred shadows.Zane sat at the back, leaning slightly forward with his arms resting on his knees, his attention moving between the two of them. He had said very little since they left the house, but his presence fi
Emily lifted the glass to her lips, her hand unsteady enough that the wine moved slightly with each step she took across the room. She didn’t sit. Sitting felt like surrendering to everything pressing in on her, and she wasn’t ready for that. She moved instead, slow steps from the edge of the couch to the window and back again, her thoughts circling without settling.The phone on the couch beside her vibrated again.She glanced at it briefly, then looked away, bringing the glass back to her lips as if the movement itself could quiet the noise inside her.Across from her, Damien sat with his elbows resting lightly on his knees, his fingers loosely intertwined, his gaze steady on her. Zane leaned back against the couch, his glass untouched for the moment, his attention shifting between Emily and the phone
(The night of the attack.)The bar was warm and crowded, filled with the low hum of conversations and the steady rhythm of background music that made people feel safe. Glasses clinked, chairs scraped softly against the floor, and the scent of alcohol and fried food hung heavy in the air. Damien sat
Damien stepped out of the bathroom with a fresh shirt on, his movements calm and measured. His hair was still slightly damp at the temples, and he carried himself as if nothing unusual had happened. Emily was standing near the coffee table, the empty cup still in her hand, her face arranged in perf
The smoke came first.It curled through the doorway like a living thing, thick and gray, swallowing the edges of the small cottage. Emily sat on the floor beside the little girl in the flowery dress, watching her play.The girl’s laughter filled the room, bright and careless. Toys were scattered ac
The penthouse was too quiet.Emily had never noticed how loud silence could be until she was forced to sit inside it.She had tried the television first. The screen glowed, channels flicking past in a blur of news anchors, cooking shows, market reports, but none of it held her attention. She muted i







