She nods, her tear-slicked gaze hardening. “The Lupine Change took them away, along with my affinity lines.” She eyes me significantly. “That’s part of why we’re here, Ren. Not just for your protection. If something goes awry when your magic is unbound...we can turn you.”

I stop breathing, my power shivering. Yvan’s fiery attention snaps to me and I meet his eyes, fire leaping between us. I’m surprised by the strength of my recoil from the idea of losing my lines. Of losing my connection to wood and earth. As well as my magical connection to both Lukas and Yvan—fire to fire.

A conflicted understanding seems to ignite in Yvan’s gaze and I know he grasps my sudden turmoil on an intimate level—what would it feel like to be stripped of fire? To be stripped of my very magical core? I turn to Rafe, conflict storming.

“If it comes down to it, Ren,” my brother says, rock-solid support in his gaze, “let us Change you.”

My head spins with revolt. Especially because my fastlines would be stripped away along with my power—which are my clearest path to finding Lukas. But I also know I’ll do this if I have to. If it’s the only way to survive, or to keep my magic from falling into Vogel’s hands.

I give a quick, tight nod to my brother, unable to meet Yvan’s gaze as his fire flickers through mine.

“What was it like...to Change?” I ask Aislinn, my throat tight with tension.

“There’s some pain,” she admits. “But...then...” An emotional gleam overtakes her gaze. “Elloren...it’s glorious.” Her expression dampens, her voice coarsening. “I shouldn’t have waited to join them. It was a mistake to wait.” She glances shyly at Jarod, and I reach out to touch his arm, overcome to be back together with all of them and looking into his kind, beloved face.

“Brother,” I say, more tears pooling in my eyes, the two of us true family now.

“My sister,” Jarod returns with warm emphasis.

I hug him tightly, choking up at the remembrance of my last glimpse of him, hunched over and in shock over the horrific loss of his family. When he pulls away his eyes are sheened with emotion.

“Are you two...together now?” I ask, looking hopefully to both him and Aislinn.

Aislinn gives a small wince and Jarod takes hold of her hand. They exchange a quick, affectionate glance.

“Not as of yet,” he says, more to her than me. “In time.”

I immediately regret asking, not able to imagine the trauma Aislinn endured with sadistic Damion Bane. A flash of red-hot anger scythes through my lines at the idea of my gentle friend fasted to such a monster.