The sea shadow tested us again three nights later.
I woke to a low call that pulled at the edges of sleep. The children stirred in the next room at the same moment.
I rose quickly and found them already sitting up in the big bed. Lila had her hands raised in a faint shimmer. Thorne pointed toward the window. Elara pressed her palms to the stone floor as if listening.
"It calls louder tonight," Lila whispered. "It wants us to come to the cliffs."
Thorne's small face stayed focused. "The patterns show it reaching through the water. Not just sound. Something underneath."
Elara shivered. "It feels cold inside. Like empty places trying to fill themselves with us."
I gathered them close while the kings entered the room.
Darius checked the windows. Kane moved to the door. Rylan stood ready with his axe. The bond between the four of us flared strong and alert.
