Dawn painted the sky in shades of pearl and rose as Daisy made her way to Agatha's cottage. Her legs still felt shaky, and the Moon's Tear pulsed with each step, as if measuring her strength. Through the mate bond, she sensed Christian somewhere on the grounds, his attention divided between his duties and her movements.
Agatha waited on her porch, a black cat with knowing yellow eyes curled at her feet. "You're late," she said without preamble.
"Sorry." Daisy climbed the steps carefully. "Magda didn't want to release me from the infirmary."
"But you convinced her." Agatha's eyes sparkled with approval. "Good. A catalyst must learn to trust her own judgment, even when others doubt."
The cat—Luna, Daisy remembered from her childhood—stretched and padded over to wind around her ankles. Th
