ALEXANDER
The tension in the room doesn’t fade after Luca’s words. It only grows heavier, thicker, like the air itself is waiting for something to break.
Luca’s wife is the first to speak. “If she’s really missing, then we need to act fast,” she says softly, glancing between us. “There’s someone who can help. A witch.”
I turn to her sharply. “A witch?”
She nods. “Her name is Mara. She’s skilled with tracking and spirit tracing. If anyone can find Emmaline, it’s her.”
Luca hesitates, then looks at one of his guards. “Fetch her. Now.”
The guard bows and hurries off.
The minutes that follow feel like hours. I pace across the marble floor, jaw clenched so tight it hurts. My blood is still burning, my pulse too fast. The thought of Emmaline—pregnant, alone, maybe in danger—makes somethi
