Chapter 123 The Wizard In The Earth's Recess

• Bratton’s POV
• The hot water did little to calm my mind. I stood under the shower far longer than necessary, letting the steam fog the glass and swirl around me like a suffocating mist. My thoughts were too loud, too tangled, too heavy. When I finally stepped out, my skin felt raw, as though the panic and irritation inside me had reached the surface.
• I dried myself briskly and walked to the dresser where Helena’s calling cards lay scattered like small, unwanted relics of our past dealings. I picked one up between my fingers, staring at the gilded edges that always felt like her—flashy, arrogant, full of hidden traps.