"More dramatic. New beasts might appear. New magics discovered. Old powers waking up." A pause. "And you might not be the only one who gains awareness."
That stopped me cold.
"What?"
"Someone else has noticed a crack in the world." Orrian's expression went serious, all traces of playfulness vanishing. "It's only a matter of time before they discover the truth. Before they understand what you understood."
"Who?"
He shook his head. "Can't tell you. Rules, remember? I've already bent them so much they're practically in knots." A wry smile. "But maybe you should watch for signs. Someone acting strangely. Questioning things they shouldn't question. Seeing patterns they shouldn't see."
I thought of Caelen's eyes in the palace, the way he'd looked at me in that hallway like he was seeing something for the first time, like pieces were clicking together in his mind that shouldn't have fit.
Was it him?
