Kora’s POV
The ride back to the compound was heavier than silence. Edward didn’t speak, Mara didn’t speak, and I barely had the strength to keep my eyes open. My palms still tingled faintly, the echo of the fire lingering long after it had dimmed. Every bump of the carriage rattled through me like an aftershock.
When we reached the gates, the pack was already waiting. Word had spread faster than our horses could carry us. Faces lined the courtyard—warriors, elders, even children clutching their mothers’ skirts. They all turned as one when I stepped down from the carriage.
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
“Her hands…”
“Did you see the glow?”
“She called fire.”
Edward’s presence beside me silenced most of them, but I could feel the weight of their eyes. Some were afraid. Some curio
