Chapter 7

He took forever to pick up.

When he finally did, his voice was a little rough.

“Where did you go?”

“Can you come to Moonlight Lake? I need to tell you something. Right now.”

“Don’t go!”

Seraphina’s voice cut through the communicator clearly.

Then she took it from him.

After all these days, this was the first time we’d spoken again.

“Elara, please don’t do this. I really don’t want to hurt you.”

I let out a bitter laugh.

“Oh, so now you’re doing this for my own good?”

“You already told him, didn’t you?”

Seraphina went quiet for a beat. Then she changed her wording.

“We made this decision for your own good.”

The second I heard we, my tears broke loose.

I shouted so sharply it hurt.

“What do you mean, ‘we’?!”

“Put Kael on. Now!”

The second he took it back, we both started talking.

“I’m asking you one last—”

“Elara, please stop pushing me—”

I stopped cold.

Then I hung up.

I sat by the lake for a long time. Just letting the wind hit me.

When I went back to pack my things, I saw Kael’s lips. They were swollen and red.

There was a faint bite mark near his neck too.

And then I got it.

That was why he wouldn’t come.

Kael grabbed my bag.

His voice went tight with panic.

“Where are you going?”