Lyla’s eyes snapped open.
For a moment, there was nothing but darkness.
Not the kind of darkness that came with the night.
Not the absence of light.
This was alive.
A darkness that pulsed, breathed, coiled around her like it had been waiting for this moment.
For her.
Lyla exhaled slowly, pressing a hand against the earth beneath her.
Except
It didn’t feel like the earth.
The ground shook at her touch.
And the air
It carried her name like a whisper from something ancient.
The moment she moved, the shadows moved with her.
Not like before.
Not like when they followed at her heels, slithering without command.
Now, they obeyed her thoughts.
Because now, they were hers.
And there was no turning back.
Lyla lifted her gaze.
The Marked Ones had fallen to their knees.
They weren
