Josie
I woke up with a sharp gasp, my heart thundering in my chest like it wanted to rip its way out.
The room was too quiet.
Too still.
The absence of warmth beside me was like a slap. I jerked upright, the sheets tangling around my legs as panic bloomed inside me. Where were they? Where was Varen? Kiel? Thorne?
No footsteps. No scent. No presence.
Nothing.
A heavy weight dropped into my stomach, dragging my breath out of me.
And then it hit me. The memory. Like a storm cloud crashing into me—Kiel's voice. His words. His mouth forming those horrible, horrible words.
We killed them.
I screamed.
My voice tore from my throat like it was trying to rip the truth out with it, but it didn't help. It didn't lessen the pain. It didn't make the rising wave of terror slow down. It only made everything worse.
Suddenly, they were there.
My parents.
In the room.
In the corners.
By the windows.
