SAGE

The world came rushing back all at once.

Now in my body, I staggered, my knees giving way beneath the weight of what I had seen, what I now knew.

Strong arms caught me before I could hit the floor, pulling me into a familiar chest. Adam.

For a moment, I let myself stay there, breathing him in, anchoring myself to the solid heat of his body while my mind reeled. Shock didn’t fade quickly. It clung, sticky and nauseating, eating me out from the inside.

The Queen.

The realization burned like acid.

Through the bond, I felt Adam’s awareness sharpen, felt the echo of what I had dragged...