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"More than that." Callum set down the polishing cloth. "She came to my chambers before dawn, just to sit with me. She didn't say much, just watched me as if... as if she were memorizing my face."

A chill ran down my spine at his words. "She did the same with me last night. I woke to find her tracing my features with her fingertips."

"Something's wrong," Callum stated flatly. "She knows something she's not telling us."

I couldn't disagree. Sierra had been acting strangely ever since she'd learned about her celestial heritage. At first, I'd attributed it to the shock of discovering her grandfather was the Angel of Death, then to the strain of her primal heat. But this was different. A deliberate withdrawal, as if she were already preparing to say goodbye.

"I'll talk to her," I decided, turning toward the door.

"We should both go," Callum suggested, carefully resheathing Lightsbane. "Whatever she's hiding, it concerns all of us."

We found Sierra in our chambers, sitting cross-legged on the floor with her eyes closed. She seemed to be meditating, her breathing slow and measured, her hands resting palms-up on her knees. The air around her shimmered slightly, as if distorted by heat, though the room itself was cool.

"Sierra," I called softly, not wanting to startle her.

Her eyes opened slowly, focusing first on me, then on Callum. "Hey." Her voice sounded as if it were far away. "Is it time already?"

"Not yet," Callum replied, moving to crouch beside her. "We wanted to check on you."

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm fine. Just centering myself for tonight."

"Sierra," I said, joining them on the floor. "What aren't you telling us?"

Her expression flickered, surprise quickly masked by forced casualness. "What do you mean?"

"You've been acting strangely all day," Callum pointed out gently. "As if you're... preparing for something more than just the ritual."

"We're concerned," I added, reaching for her hand. "Whatever it is, we can face it together."

Sierra's composure cracked, just for a moment, and I caught a glimpse of such profound sorrow in her eyes that it stole my breath. But she quickly recovered, squeezing my hand with reassuring pressure.

"I'm scared," she admitted, which wasn't a lie, but I sensed it wasn't the whole truth either. "This ritual is dangerous, and there's so much at stake. I just want to make sure I'm ready."

Callum and I exchanged glances over her head. She was hiding something, that much was clear, but pushing her further might only cause her to retreat more.

"We'll be with you every step of the way," Callum promised, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "All of us."

She nodded, leaning into his touch. "I know. And that's what matters most."

The conversation was interrupted by Archer's arrival. He entered our chambers with quiet purpose, his ice-blue eyes immediately finding Sierra. Something passed between them, a silent communication I couldn't decipher.

"It's nearly time to begin preparations," Archer announced, his voice steady despite the tension evident in his posture. "The forge needs to be heated, and we all need to cleanse ourselves before the ritual. Then Callum can cast the protection spell."

Sierra rose to her feet, smoothing down her clothes with hands that trembled slightly. "I'm ready."

No, I thought, watching her face carefully. You're not. None of us are.

But we were out of time, out of options. The Shadow Beast was growing stronger by the hour, the barriers between realms weakening. We had to act now, ready or not.

As we prepared to leave our chambers, Sierra suddenly turned and embraced me fiercely, her arms wrapping around my waist with surprising strength. I returned the embrace automatically, feeling her smaller frame press against mine as if trying to imprint the sensation on her memory.

"Thank you," she whispered against my chest. "For everything."

Before I could respond, she'd pulled away and moved to Callum, repeating the gesture. The look on my brother's face mirrored the confusion and concern I felt. This wasn't just pre-ritual nerves. This was goodbye.

When she reached Archer, her embrace lingered longer, and I saw her whisper something in his ear that made his entire body stiffen. His eyes widened, then narrowed as he pulled back to look at her face.

"Sierra—" he began, his voice tight with alarm.