Chapter 78

Maeve’s POV

“Sister?”

The word reverberated in my ears, freezing every part of me. A chill, ravenous and cold, crept up from my bare feet, coursing through my bones until it settled in my chest. I held my breath as my body began to pivot slowly.

When I turned, I was met by the same piercing deep-blue eyes I recognized as my own. Tears sprung unbidden to my cheeks as I stared into those crystalline depths—my older brother, Lennox. My lips quivered.

“Maeve,” he whispered in a low voice, his gaze guarded, torn between disbelief and confusion.

Words I tried to speak caught in my throat. Instead, I launched myself forward, closing the lonely gap between us in an instant. I flung my arms around his neck and pressed my face against his shoulder. For a moment he stood still; then I felt his warm hands encircle me.

“Brother,” I sobbed.

He held me tight, molding me against him as if he feared I might vanish. Softly, almost inaudibly, I heard hi