Raven’s POV
The headlights cut through the dark like a knife, and for a moment, I couldn’t see anything but the glare. Then she stepped out of the car.
My heart stopped.
It wasn’t Adrian. It wasn’t some faceless ghost. It was her.
Elijah’s mother.
She looked older, of course. Her hair was streaked with gray, and her face was lined with years I hadn’t seen. But her eyes—those were the same. Sharp. Cold. Full of something I couldn’t name.
“Miss me?” she said, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade.
I didn’t move. Couldn’t move. My hand was still on the door handle, frozen in place.
“Cat got your tongue, Michael?” she asked, tilting her head. “Or should I call you Raven now? Such a dramatic name. Fits you, I guess.”
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to speak. “What
