Six hours.
That's all we had.
Six hours to decide which one of us would die.
I sat on the edge of Kade's bed, Elena's papers spread out in front of me. Instructions for a ritual I didn't understand. Diagrams of symbols I'd never seen. Words in a language I couldn't read.
But my mother had understood them.
Had left these clues for me.
Knowing someday I'd need them.
"There has to be another way." Kade's voice broke the silence.
He stood at the window, staring out at the darkening sky. His reflection in the glass looked haunted.
"There isn't."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do." I touched the papers. "My mother showed me. In the visions. She knew this moment would come. Knew I'd have to choose."
He turned. "Choose what? Death? That's not a choice, Sera. That's surrender."
"It's s
