The call and response of trust and loyalty, intermingling until they become a melody. A beautiful truth that circles in the wind, swirling against my mind, growing louder until everyone, everyone must hear it too.

“I am a Medium, born from the earth. I am Bloodcrafted, born from resilience. I am Arthur, Awakened!”

You gain an awareness. Learn to hear the low buzzing sound of exclusion. A sound that says, We didn’t build this for you. We built it for us. This is ours, not yours.

We keep crossing paths in all the wrong ways.

“You should be happy. You’ve spent every waking second here trying to get me to leave.” He holds my gaze for a long moment. “Not every second.” It’s suddenly hard to breathe. I look away.

“I thought Nicholas was amazing. He was everything I wasn’t: bright, open, popular. Heroic. He made it all look so easy. Still does. I wanted to be close to that.” He sighs softly. “Probably why I fell in love with him.”

“There it is. The self-righteous rage of demonkind. Pathetic.” “Not as pathetic as you.”

“You’re not a damsel to me, Bree. You’re a warrior. You’re strong and you’re beautiful and you’re brilliant and brave.”

“In this infirmary,” William hisses, advancing on him, “I am your king. Nick was not discharged! His head is still healing!”