EMBER’S POV

The room goes quiet. Everyone is looking at me.

“Rafael is only one part of it,” I say slowly. “If we go by everything Nathaniel just told us, the real danger was never Rafael. It’s the gene itself. Having Knox susceptible to it means he’s one bad day away from another episode. One drugging.” I look at Nathaniel, and the word lands exactly where I aim it. “One person cruel enough to weaponise his weakness against him. Or—” My voice catches. “Or if something ever went wrong with me. If we have a mature bond and I’m hurt, or taken, or killed, he could lose his mind entirely....