I pulled out my phone and tapped out a quick text to Linda: FaceTime me if you can please.
I set the phone on my knee, staring at the screen while the silence stretched between Drakon and me. Seconds felt like minutes. My thumb nervously traced the edge of the glass, my pulse ticking up with every passing second.
Suddenly, the phone vibrated, the screen lighting up with an incoming video call.
I slid my thumb across to accept, lifting the device so the camera caught my face. Linda’s image filled the display—she was sitting in what looked like a quiet, dimly lit room, her usual sharp composure slightly softened by the late hour.
"Kira?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as she took in my expression. "Is everything alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I'm okay," I said, though my v
