Chapter 4

The next few days passed in a blur of silk and safety, each moment reinforcing the surreal nature of my new reality. I moved through my classes with a confidence I'd never possessed before, the knowledge that Rowan's protection surrounded me like an invisible shield.

It became a game, almost, spotting them. The man in the charcoal suit who always seemed to be reading a newspaper at the coffee shop when I bought my morning latte. The woman with auburn hair who browsed the same bookstore shelves whenever I studied in the campus library. They were ghosts in expensive clothing,…