I stood in the circle, my bare feet on the stone floor, my heart beating so loud I was sure everyone could hear it. The Elder’s words were still hanging in the air, sharp and cruel.
Only one twin can remain.
I looked at Lyra.
She stood across from me, wrapped in white, her hair loose, her face calm. Like this was not about death. Like this was not about me.
About us.
My stomach twisted.
I didn’t know what I was supposed to feel. Hate? Fear? Anger?
All I felt was confusion.
She was my twin. My blood. And yet, she was also the reason my world had cracked open.
The Elder lifted his staff again. “The ritual will”
“No.”
Derek’s voice cut through the chamber like a blade.
Every head turned.
He stepped forward, his shoulders tense, his eyes dark. Power rolled off him in waves, thick
