Aurora at thirteen was a force of nature.
Her powers had grown beyond anything Lena had anticipated. She could summon light bright enough to blind, move faster than most vampires, and sense emotions with an accuracy that bordered on uncomfortable. She was brilliant, beautiful, and completely impossible.
The mornings were the hardest. Aurora would burst out of her room like a storm, her light flickering with whatever mood had seized her that day. Some days she was sunny and affectionate, wrapping her arms around Lena before breakfast and chattering about her dreams. Other days she was sullen and sharp, answering every question with a single word and slamming doors hard enough to rattle the windows.
"She's grounded," Kael announced one evening, collapsing onto the cabin's porch. His golde
