The morning light seemed to crawl across the compound's dining room, as if it too sensed something wrong in the air. Daisy stared into her untouched decaf, watching oily patterns swirl across its surface like auguries she couldn't quite read. The Moon's Tear hung heavy between her breasts, its familiar weight suddenly oppressive, the silver chain leaving a trail of frost against her skin despite the steam rising from the cups before them.
Christian sat at the head of the table where her brother Alec should have been, his presence a constant reminder of what lay three floors below – her brother's body wrapped in containment sigils that did nothing to slow the corruption eating through his flesh. Anna's hands moved restlessly over her healing herbs, their sharp green scent failing to mask t
