Damon let out a sigh as he watched his family emerge from the sacred waters, radiating energy and newfound strength.
His father was flexing his arms, cracking his neck like an old warrior who'd just remembered how it felt to be twenty again. "I feel like I could bench press a bear," he said with a proud grin.
His mother gave him a disapproving look, but her smile softened it. "You look ridiculous."
His brother looked more grounded than Damon had ever seen him. He was still quiet, but there was a focus in his eyes now, a stillness that hadn't been there before. When he glanced at Damon, he gave a simple nod, an acknowledgment between siblings, free of words.
And then there was Georgina. She walked out like a queen emerging from a throne room, as if she had unlocked some sort of secret hidden power.
