“Em?” The single syllable left Daniel Reed’s mouth before he could stop it. It hung in the cold city air, small and impossible. A second earlier, he…

“GET OUT!” The waitress’s voice ripped through the diner so loudly that the silverware seemed to stop moving. Every head turned. A small girl stood beside the…

“HANDS OFF!” The vendor’s voice cracked through the morning market so sharply that people turned before they understood what had happened. A small boy froze beside the…

“You’re fired, Carter!” The shout tore through the bakery and spilled out onto the sidewalk. For a moment, even the morning traffic seemed to pause. Carter stood…

“Dance with me.” The words landed softly. That was what made them impossible. No one would have reacted that way if the boy had shouted. If he…

“I’m busy. Tell him to leave.” The words cut through the hospital lobby colder than the air-conditioning. People heard them. They pretended not to. The receptionist froze…

A sharp gust of wind cut through the winter street like a blade. Snow whipped sideways across the sidewalk, stinging faces, catching in eyelashes, settling on shoulders…

The rain made everything look harsher than it already was. The black iron gate rattled in the wind. Water ran down the stone path in thin, silver…