The whisper didn't fade.
It stayed in the air, twisting through the smoke like it had a body of its own. Aria flinched at the sound, clutching her chest as if someone had pressed a hand against her heart.
Lorenzo turned, eyes scanning the shadows. "Who's there?"
Only silence answered, but something unseen shifted near the window. The curtains fluttered though there was no breeze.
Elias loaded another round into his gun, muttering, "We're not alone."
Aria stood slowly. Her face was pale, her golden eyes dimming back to brown, but the glow under her skin still pulsed faintly. "He's not gone," she whispered. "Silas was never alone."
Lorenzo's jaw tightened. "You mean the Ash Order?"
She shook her head. "No. Something deeper. Older. He wasn't their leader, he was their key."
Elias frowned. "Key to what?"
Aria looked at him, and her voice came out like an echo: "To the Shadow Crown."
The room fell completely silent. Even the thunder outside paused, as if listening.
