Jace
It was dawn and I heard a noise that woke me. I turned my head to see a bird.
Its wings beat hard against the wind as it swooped low, landing on the railing outside the bedroom window.
I got up and opened the window. There was something on the bird I could see.
I knew before I even unwrapped the cord from its leg that the message was hers—my mother’s scent clung to the parchment, faint but unmistakable beneath the magic.
Cara stood beside me, her hand brushing mine as I unrolled the letter. Her breath hitched softly as the words bled into the space between us, each sentence carving a deeper weight into my bones.
When I reached the last line, my vision blurred with rage and fear. Sacrifice. Catacombs. A truth hidden in the dark.
Cara’s fingers curled around mine, steadying me
