POV: Nixie
The chamber shook again.
Not violently. This time, it felt like a warning. A deep vibration rolled through the stone beneath my feet, through the symbols on the walls, and through me. I pressed my palm against my chest, my breath catching as the Echo responded, flaring warmly instead of burning.
Lyall noticed right away.
His hand wrapped around mine, firm and steady, as if he sensed the change the same moment I did. “It’s changing,” he said quietly. “Tell me what you feel.”
“I don’t know how to explain it,” I whispered. “It’s not angry anymore. It’s… aware.”
The man—still keeping his distance—watched us with narrowed eyes. “That awareness is dangerous,” he warned. “Once the Echo recognizes a tether, it starts to shape itself around it.”
Lyall didn’t let go of my hand. “Th
