Rowan’s POV
The word hung in the air like a c***k in glass.
“Mama…” Rowan whispered again, softer this time, as if the syllables might shatter if he breathed too hard.
The wasteland shuddered around them. The shadows hissed, their mouths wide with jagged teeth. Above, the sea of eyes blinked furiously, as though the word had pierced something they could not control. The Sovereign’s voice snarled, a sound that rattled Rowan’s bones.
“No.”
The fire inside him flared, violent and searing, as though the Sovereign meant to smother that voice with sheer force. Rowan staggered, clutching his chest. He should have broken. He should have dissolved into flame right then.
But he didn’t.
Because beneath the wildfire was something else. A warmth. Not devouring. Not cruel. A hum like sunlight on
