I smoothed the bright blue fabric of my dress over my hips, the sensation of silk against my fingertips almost overwhelming in its intensity. Every thread, every minute texture registered like individual notes in a symphony of touch. I caught Theo watching me from across the room, his eyes warm with devotion that still made my heart stumble in its rhythm. The world had changed overnight—or rather, I had changed. The marking had transformed me in ways I was only beginning to understand, my senses heightened to an almost painful degree, my body humming with unfamiliar power.
"You look beautiful," Theo said, adjusting the navy tie that matched my dress with uncanny precision. His voice vibrated through me like a physical caress. "How are you feeling?"
"Like someone turned all my senses up t
