They stepped through the portal in pairs, holding hands, side by side.
First, Talia and Lucian. Directly behind them followed Reign and Celeste, close enough that their shoulders nearly brushed.
The transport was smooth—instantaneous.
The portal sealed behind the last arrivals with a low, resonant hum that faded slowly into the stone.
“Check everyone,” Lucian ordered quietly.
Talia was already moving.
Her hands were light but precise, her eyes sharp as she passed from body to body. A whisper of healing flame traced her fingers—cleansing, not burning—ensuring nothing had followed them through. Her touch never wavered. She listened for what didn’t belong.
When she finished with her family, she turned the flame on herself, sweeping it deliberately over every inch of her body.
No fract
