CHAPTER 35: WHEN THE SKY OPENS
For a brief moment, peace felt almost believable again.
Not permanent, not safe, but real enough to touch. The rescue of Lila had spread through Chicago faster than fear ever could. News channels replayed the story with endless speculation, but the image that stayed with people was simple: a frightened child pointing at two creatures the world had been taught to fear and calling them heroes. It did not erase suspicion. It did not heal centuries of instinct overnight. But it changed the conversation. Humans who had shouted about monsters now hesitated. Wolves who wanted separation questioned their anger. Vampires who expected rejection found silence where hatred had once stood. It was small, fragile progress, the kind Rowan had always believed mattered most
