Sleep had been a cruel stranger that night. Every time I thought I might finally drift off, a thought—or three—would sneak in and pull me right back to consciousness. My mind had become a restless river: thoughts of my siblings, of Varion’s lies, of Kael’s hand closing around mine the night before, his voice vowing to bring them home
'with every star that hangs over Polaris.'
So when I finally stumbled out of bed the next morning, eyes heavy and hair an absolute battlefield, I didn’t expect the scent of coffee and toasted bread to feel like salvation.
The sound of low conversation guided me to the kitchen. Kael, Orion, Nova, Calen, and Lyra were all gathered around the breakfast table already, their plates half-empty, their laughter spilling across the room like warm sunlight. Nova was
