ering to the floor around her like fallen soldiers. She stepped forwar

his head bowed, his breath coming in short, ragged gas

, cold as ice, pressed firmly

his own life, but from her perspective: the roar of a car engine, the artificial flash of a camera, the garbled noise of a thousand voices screaming from a flat, glowing rectangle. Countless chaotic images and words flooded her conscious

om beneath her fingers, casting

e connection for a long, agonizing moment. Then, her brow fur

ords ancient and sharp. Then, as the new language settled into her mind, her voice became clearer,

him harder than his grandfather's cane ever could. He opened his mouth to argue, to scr

Bang

uting came from the hallway outside. The

own!" a voice shouted

s face scraped and bruised, rushed in, flanked by two burly security guards

aman yelled, pointing the lens dire

eyes. The ancient dress. The glowing hand on Aedan's for

intruders. The golden light of her eyes

ing, but he kept the camera rolling. The

ubtle, invasive sensation of being watched by thousands of unseen ey

dangerous, cold fury

ee hand, her palm

tatic. The hair on Aedan's arms stood on end. A sharp, metal

red wildly. The electricity in t

erheat. Smoke poured from the vents. The cameram

It wasn't a natural spark; it was a controlled, violent strike. T

ing him backward. The camera was ripped

twisted in mid-air, deflecting off the exp

scream, but it came out as

om Aedan's forehead. She didn't even blink. A fa

ng struck h

flowed into her skin, absorbed like water into a sponge. The blue light traveled up h

ough to cast harsh shadows across the entire room.

ctricity danced across her fingertips like

rror, tried to scramble up, but his limbs wouldn't obey. The guards grabbed him under the arms, his body limp, and dr

l prostrate on the floor. "Remove the insects,"

iarch," he stammered, his voice trembling. He hurried

her hand away from his forehead. The golden

s lungs burned. His whole body was trembling. He stared up at

thing he thought he knew, sh