It wasn’t the wind that woke Nova.
It wasn’t even the distant howl of Rome’s night or the uneasy stillness that had wrapped the Ashford estate like a funeral shroud.
It was Cassia.
The little girl stood in her crib, her amber eyes wide, glowing like they held a sun behind them.
“She’s here.”
That’s all Cassia said.
And the moment those two words passed her lips, the flame sconces lining the hallway outside their bunker guttered, and she died.
Every flame in the house went out.
Except for one.
Nova’s heart pounded as she turned toward the entrance.
Kael was already there, his eyes glowing faintly. “Stay here. Protect her.”
Nova handed Cassia to Liam, her voice firm but quiet. “Don’t leave this room. No matter what happens.”
“I should go with you,” Liam started.
But Nova shook h
