CHASE
Sitting on the edge of the mattress, cold sweat clung to my bare chest. Pre-dawn shadows stretched across the modern master bedroom, offering zero comfort.
My mind kept replaying the brutal argument with the Elder Council, followed instantly by the vivid nightmare of Karina driving a silver blade straight through my heart. Staring at the hardwood floor, the metallic scent of imaginary blood still burned the back of my throat.
The mattress shifted behind me. A soft click echoed through the room as Ashley reached over and turned on the bedside lamp, flooding the space with harsh yellow light.
"Chase, why are you sitting up in the dark?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.
Propping herself up on one elbow, she pulled the silk sheet over her chest. "And why are you acting so re
