Aveline had made her decision.
She would not use her power to frighten others. Not after seeing how quickly it could turn cruel in her hands. She knew too well what it meant to be on the receiving end of another person's strength, to be made small, powerless, and afraid. She would never become that kind of person. Never.
Only then did she realize Hamilton was gone.
Her head lifted at once, and the ache of her own thoughts sharpened into alarm. She looked around the room, then the bed, then the narrow windowsill, as though he might have simply wandered off and hidden himself in some absurd little corner.
But the room remained empty. Her heart tightened. Only then did she remember that after finding Lydia, she had never once seen Hamilton beside her.
Stress rushed through her all over again.
