The heavy lead door did not just break. It turned into a cloud of red dust. Hecate walked through the dust as if she were walking through a beautiful garden. June locked eyes with the woman’s purple gaze. Leo curled up on the floor, his whole body shaking, every muscle clenched in pain.
She rushed to her son, scraping her knees on the cold stone, not even noticing the sting. She pulled Leo into her lap and wrapped herself around him, trying to block him from view. Behind her, Marcus and Dante struggled to get up. They barely moved. The air felt thick and heavy, like they were trapped underwater.
“Get away from him!” June screamed, her voice raw and desperate. She tried to summon the fire inside her, but all she found was cold. The familiar warmth that usually burned in her chest was gone
