The light faded slowly.
It did not vanish all at once, the way a candle is extinguished or a fire dies. Instead, it receded like a tide, pulling back from the edges of the world, retreating into the barrier where it belonged. The golden glow that had blinded everyone, that had forced wolves and vampires and hybrids to shield their eyes, softened into something gentle, something warm, something that felt like a embrace.
Lena opened her eyes to find herself on solid ground. The cold stone of the ritual circle was beneath her back, rough and unyielding, but she did not care. Kael's arms were wrapped around her, his warmth seeping into her cold skin, his heart pounding against her ribs. And Caspian's cool hand was in hers, his fingers intertwined with her own, his presence no longer a distan
