Elena’s black veins pulsed beneath her skin. The blue crystal on the nightstand gave off a low hum.
“How long has this been happening?” Julian asked.
“Three years. The fragment keeps me alive, but it’s killing me bit by bit. Every day, more black lines. Every day, less of me.”
Pip looked at her arm. “That’s awful.”
“You stop thinking about it after a while.”
Marcus sat down on the floor. “No, you don’t.”
Elena turned toward him and studied his face. “You were a bridge?”
“Yeah. For weeks. I felt every person who crossed.”
“How did you get out?”
Marcus pointed at Julian. “He broke the rules.”
Elena shifted her attention to Julian. “Then break them for me.”
...
The Problem
The Dreamer’s voice came from Julian’s band.
“The fragment has fused with her nervous system. If you remove
