The ground split beneath their feet, a jagged scar running through the clearing, glowing faintly with light like molten veins. Lyra stumbled, and Kael caught her before she could fall, pressing her close as if the sheer force of his body could keep her safe from what was coming.
Darius crouched to the edge of the fissure, silver eyes narrowing. “That… that wasn’t natural,” he murmured. His hand flexed, claws brushing against the earth as though he could feel the pulse of something alive beneath the surface.
Lyra’s heart raced. The storm inside her chest reacted instantly, flickering and sparking as though warning her, begging her to heed the danger before her. The air itself seemed to vibrate, charged with power that made her skin tingle and her hair stand on end.
“What is it?” she aske
