Lila
Ruby shifted restlessly beneath my skin. Something stirs in the dark, she murmured.
My pulse quickened. The bond hummed faintly, and I knew Damon felt it too. He was sitting near the hearth, the firelight painting his skin gold. He looked better, stronger, but there was a shadow of pain that hadn’t fully faded.
“You feel it,” I said quietly.
He lifted his head, eyes glowing faintly. “Rogues.”
The word rolled through me like thunder. I reached for my cloak automatically, even though I knew it wouldn’t matter.
“Stay inside,” Damon said, rising to his feet. “Keep the children close.”
“No,” I snapped before I could stop myself. He turned to look at me, and the old habit, the instinct to yield, flickered then died. “I’m not hiding when I’m useful.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw. I
