~Caleb~
The elevator ride to the lobby stretched like taffy, each second a test of my fraying control. The bond with Elara pulsed weakly, more sensation than communication now—silver warmth that confirmed she was alive but offered little else. Whatever they'd done to her in the hours since our brief connection had dampened our link almost to nothing.
Hold on, I thought toward that faint thread. Just hold on a little longer.
The elevator doors opened to chaos. Pack members lined the walls of the atrium, their expressions ranging from confusion to open hostility as they watched the standoff between Lyra and Elder Thorne. A few—those who had aligned themselves with Thorne's traditionalist views—had already crossed the invisible line to stand with the visitors.
"—have no authority to deman
