Morning light filtered through the runic windows of Kael's bedroom. Sophie lay beside him, her head resting on his chest, tracing idle patterns on his skin with her fingertip.
Kael broke the comfortable silence. "Your ability. Truth and Judgement."
Sophie's finger paused. "What about it?"
"Could you explain it to me?"
She was quiet for a moment, then pushed herself up against the headboard. The sheets pooled around her waist, exposing the bite marks he'd left on her skin the night before.
"Truth is simple," she said. "I can sense deception. Lies, half-truths, omissions—anything that deviates from what a person genuinely believes to be true. It's passive, always active. I can't turn it off." A small, bitter smile. "You have no idea how exhausting it is to live in a family where everyone lies constantly."
"And Judgement?"
