The laughter wouldn’t stop.
It echoed through Kaelira’s mind long after the voice had fallen silent.
She stumbled backward, clutching her chest as her heartbeat became painfully uneven.
“Kaelira!”
Alaric caught her before she collapsed.
She barely heard him.
The whisper had disappeared.
But its presence remained.
Like someone standing just behind her.
Watching.
Waiting.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
“I need it to stop.”
“It will,” Alaric said gently, though worry filled his face. “You have to stay calm.”
“I am calm.”
“No.”
His voice softened.
“You’re frightened.”
She opened her mouth to deny it.
Instead, pain exploded through her chest.
The black crescent mark burned so fiercely that she cried out.
Instinct took over.
Without thinking…
She reached for the only thing th
