The orb glows brighter than before.
The seam along its surface has widened further, and the red light spilling from within no longer pulses erratically but beats in a steady rhythm that matches the thrum beneath my skin.
I sit down slowly in one of the chairs and rest my hands on the table without touching it, and for the first time since the chaos began there is a strange stillness around me.
The house is quieter here.
The darkness beyond the windows feels distant.
I draw in a slow breath and try to steady my thoughts.
That is when I hear it.
At first it is faint.
Not a sound in the room.
Not a whisper from the hallway.
It is internal.
A voice.
Female.
Soft and layered with something that feels older than language, and it does not belong to Layla.
I freeze.
The voice does n
