Chapter 12: The Marks on Cael's Hands

In the morning, Cael showed them the marks properly. They weren't burns — they were closer to writing, fine and precise, pressed into his skin from the inside.

"The woman who sent me," he explained. "She put them there so I'd be believed. They're a message." He held his palms toward Ash. The cat leaned forward and read them silently, its expression unreadable.

"Well?" Sera pressed. Ash sat back. "It says: Do not let her open what cannot be closed again." A pause. "I believe the her in question is you, Sera."