(Evelyn's POV)
I was halfway through getting dressed when my phone rang.
I glanced at the screen, unfamiliar number, international code. For a second, I considered letting it ring out. Then I answered.
"Evelyn Hart," I said.
"Good morning, Ms. Hart," a woman's voice replied—polite, calm, professional. "This is Halcyon. You're expected at the headquarters within the hour."
Expected.
Not invited.
My fingers tightened around the phone. "Today?"
"Yes," she said smoothly. "Please come directly. No delays."
The call ended before I could ask anything else.
I stood there for a moment, phone still pressed to my ear, then slowly lowered it.
So this was how it began.
Liora was already in the kitchen when I came downstairs, coffee in hand, hair tied back neatly. She looked up the moment she saw my face.
"That expression again," she said. "What happened?"
"Halcyon called," I replied. "They want me there. Now."
Her eyebrows shot up. "Already?"
I nodded. "Apparently."
