"Stay with her," Tracy said to Selene, her voice low but firm. "I'll try to get Vardy to focus. We can't let him slip away too."
Selene didn't respond, but Tracy saw the faint nod of her head as she continued her work on Ferah. Tracy turned her attention to Vardy again. He was still standing at the bow of the ship, staring out at the water.
She walked up to him, careful not to startle him, but when he turned to face her, she could see it. The change was in his eyes.
The darkness was beginning to take over, without warning.
"Vardy," she said, her voice a little more insistent now. "You need to talk to me. This... this power is messing with your head, I can see it."
Vardy's jaw tightened, his hands shaking slightly as he gripped the artifact even tighter. He looked at Tracy, his eyes narrowing. "I'm fine. You're overreacting."
