Elias’s POV
I hated the silence.
It had been quiet since we got back from the Hollow. Too quiet. Ivy wasn’t talking. Selena barely looked anyone in the eye. Kiernan kept pacing like a caged wolf, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how close we came to losing everything.
One more minute, one more step into that ritual circle, and Ivy could’ve been gone. Taken by Magnus. Or worse—changed by him.
The image of her face when we found her—confused, pale, trembling—burned behind my eyes. I had seen her angry. Sad. Determined. But that was something else. That was broken.
And I let it happen.
I had stood back for too long, keeping peace while others doubted her. Pretending we still had time. Pretending things weren’t as bad as they seemed. But I couldn’t pretend anymore.
Ivy was at the cent
