Jace’s POV
I’d been thinking about it for days. The cursed tree, the blood, the scent that clung to the air like rot that wouldn’t wash away. The night Kai died had never stopped replaying in my head. Everyone kept throwing suspicion at Zara, whispering that her hybrid blood made her dangerous. But no—something about it had never sat right with me.
And now, after everything, the trail led me straight to Atlas.
The dorm corridor was quiet, but my steps were not. I didn’t care if I woke anyone, didn’t care if I looked like a storm barely contained. Because I was one.
As I rounded the corner, I caught sight of Liam. He was just stepping out of Atlas’s room, adjusting his collar like he’d been in there longer than casual. His smirk spread the moment his eyes locked on mine.
“Well, well,”
