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Instead, I stand frozen in place like an idiot stuck between fight and flight.

“Storm, what's wrong?” All the anger from a moment ago is gone. Her words are soft, and her eyes look over me as if looking for something physical.

Something itches the back of my mind, almost like an idea or memory that's just on the tip of my tongue, but not quite there.

“He feels bad for avoiding you.”

Garrett’s words hit me like a slap in the face, and this time, I do turn away from Serena.

How did he know that?

He sits on the edge of the bed, his hands braced on his knees, eyes closed tight, almost as if he’s concentrating…

Damn it.

“Get out of my head!”

I didn’t know he could do that.

“Storm, it’s fine—” she reaches for me, but I step back before she can touch me, and I see the hurt flash in her eyes.

Fuck, I’m making this worse.

“I’m sorry. I should have been there, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t face seeing Sol like that, not so soon after seeing you the same way. It was bad enough feeling how torn up you were. I couldn’t bring myself to face you, not when I know I could’ve changed things. I could have saved him, either of them.”

The words rush out of my mouth like vomit, and I wish I could shove them back in the moment they’re out.

But I can’t, so I do the only other thing I can do.

I leave.

Running from the room, I can hear her feet hit the ground as she chases after me, just like I knew she would.

Unfortunately for her, she isn’t the only stubborn one, and I have an advantage.

I let my beast take over, and that's all the advantage I need.

Four legs are faster than two, after all.

I leave her in the dust as I flee from the castle and out into the garden. It’s not ideal, but I can sleep outside.

Whatever it takes, so that she doesn’t look at me with those beautiful blue eyes full of pity again.

Storm continues to avoid not just Sol and Serena, but all of us after that. I didn't know that Garrett could push past our barriers the way he did with Storm, and while he was trying to help, all that did was push Storm farther away while making the rest of us hesitant around him.

"It's a power level difference," the Queen explains as we exit the library after yet another day of finding nothing.

"So Garrett is stronger than us?" I ask because, while I believe he might be more skilled, I wasn't aware of a significant gap between us, at least not to that extent.

"No, not exactly." She pauses momentarily, as if trying to find the words to describe what she means, and I'm happy to wait. I'd rather have a whole understanding of what's going on.

"Garrett was able to find cracks in Storm’s shield, and it was probably because of the distress he's feeling about everything. Garrett has trained longer and has experience with a bond. Despite how young they might have been, he and Serena have been bonded for years."

Unlike Garrett, Rosalynn's been trying to help us find a way to save Lyle. She meets with us almost daily, but even still, we’ve got nothing.

Those people could have been saved.

She doesn't say it, but I can see her doubt, same as Garrett. She just keeps it to herself, unlike him.