"One touch of nature makes the whole realm kin."
The wind carried salt and the copper tang of old blood. I stood barefoot on the beach, sand gritty beneath my toes, the sea restless at the edge of my vision. The vampire army had vanished over that horizon hours ago, and I still didn't trust it.
Wave Bolt stood a step behind me, his frame tense, arms crossed over his chest. The sea breeze tugged at his short, dark hair, and I saw a spark flicker along his forearm, residual static occasionally, a reminder of what lived under his skin.
"They're gone," he said, voice even but edged with exhaustion.
I didn't look at him. My gaze stayed fixed on that distant line where the waves met the grey sky. "Then why do I feel like they're not?"
Wave moved to stand beside me, glancing sideways. "Because you don't like unanswered questions. And neither do I."
