The morning light was thin and grey, filtering through the heavy drapes of the West Wing suite. Elena woke to the sound of birds in the forest—a peaceful sound that felt completely wrong after the violence of the night before. Her body felt heavy, her muscles aching from the strain of holding the triad merge, but the restless, vibrating energy under her skin had finally settled into a dull hum.
She dressed in a simple grey sweatshirt and jeans, her movements slow and deliberate. She spent a moment looking at the jagged silver shard on the counter before pocketing it. It was her only physical proof that the man in the village hadn't been a hallucination.
When she opened the door to the hallway, she found Kael leaning against the opposite wall. He looked like he hadn't slept at all. His sh
