The scream didn’t reach Aria’s ears.
It ripped straight through her soul.
She froze mid-step, fingers digging into the carved stone railing of the palace balcony as something inside her snapped taut—like a string pulled too far.
“Tara…” she whispered.
Her knees buckled.
Dominic was there instantly, catching her before she hit the floor, while Adrian’s hands cupped her face, grounding, steady, terrified.
“Aria, breathe,” Adrian said firmly. “Look at me. Stay with us.”
But Aria’s eyes had gone unfocused, pupils blown wide as light and shadow leaked from her skin in unstable waves.
“She’s in pain,” Aria choked. “Not fear. Not confusion. Pain. Gods—someone is tearing into her.”
Anna, who had been standing near the doorway, let out a broken gasp.
“Tara?” Her voice cracked. “What do yo
