She had felt it before that flicker under her skin. It was heat, pressure, and something else, something alive. It had surged in moments of fear and fury, and though it had saved her more than once, she'd never been able to call it at will.
Tonight, though, there was something different about it.
She touched the back of her neck absently, unaware of the faint pulse of light under her hair. The air felt heavier here, as if the walls themselves were listening.
And outside, Kael leaned against the stone wall, hand resting on his weapon, eyes scanning the hall. He didn't trust the Guardian's sudden appearance and he trusted the Council even less.
He wasn't going to lose her. Not to them. Not to whatever darkness the Guardian had seen in her.
