Chapter 51

• DEX
• I steady myself, drawing in a slow breath as the night settles around me. The darkness feels cold inside my chest, spreading through me like water seeking its way through cracks. I let it move freely, guiding it outward until I can feel the shadows stretching across the city. Somewhere in the distance, faint disturbances begin to flicker—small illusions meant to distract anyone watching.
• “It’s now or never,” Maxwell mutters beside me, his heightened senses scanning the air for hidden threats.