Matt woke up before the sun came up. He sat on the edge of his bed and looked at his hands. They were strong hands now, with faint silver lines under the skin from the twilight power. But when he closed his eyes, he could still remember the old days — the days when those same hands shook after Kade slapped him in the classroom. He remembered feeling small and weak. He remembered promising himself that one day he would be strong enough to protect people who felt the same way.
The hunger was quiet this morning. It felt like a calm river inside him instead of a wild storm. Matt smiled a little. “Good,” he whispered. “Stay calm today.”
He stood up, washed his face with cold water, and put on his simple black coat. The silver scarf from the old grandmother was still tied around his neck. It w
