MAILAH LOOKED BACK.
The shop was gone. Just a blank wall between the gelateria and the bookstore, as if it had never existed.
"What the hell was that?" Oliver breathed.
"A warning," Grayson said grimly, his hand still gripping Mailah's. "Or a trap we just walked into."
Lucien was pale, his usual brightness dimmed to something brittle. "We need to leave. Now."
"Agreed," Elin said, already scanning the piazza like she expected the shop to reappear. "This whole thing feels wrong."
But Mailah was staring at the vial in her hand, watching the liquid inside shift and swirl like captured starlight. Through the crystal, she could see fragments that weren't quite images—whispers of memory that tugged at something deep in her chest.
"Mailah." Grayson's voice pulled her back, sharp with concern. "Give it to me."
"What? No."
"That thing is dangerous. Whatever power it holds—"
