Riley's POV 

We left the room, and on the way, Cane and Caden started arguing with Gunnar about why he had agreed to let me perform that stupid Rite. I was shocked myself, because I still had no idea what it truly was. But from the way they spoke, it sounded dangerous—terrifying even. The tension in their voices was thick as we walked down the hallway.

“You know how bad this could go for her, Gunnar. Why the hell would you agree to that?” Cane snapped.

Caden added immediately, his voice tight with anger, “She’s human. She’s not built for something like this. We should not do this.”

Gunnar kept...